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Community Cares trains high school leaders to teach social-skills in Methacton SD
Summary
Presenters described Community Cares, a peer-led school program that trains high school students to deliver monthly lessons on boundaries, Internet safety, stress management and inclusion to younger students; students and staff praised the curriculum and noted local funding from Amber Savings Bank.
Presenter (S1) said Community Cares is “a collaborative school based prevention program” whose mission is “to foster that community of respect, safety, empathy, and really positive communication among youth.”
The program, presenters said, was developed after Representative Webster’s office flagged school-climate concerns. Presenter (S1) described a peer-led model in which partner organizations first train high school students on a monthly topic; those high schoolers then practice and deliver the same activities to middle-school classes.
“Some topics that we talked about were how to set boundaries and have healthy friendships and relationships,” Presenter (S2) said, adding that lessons also cover Internet safety and cyberbullying, diversity and inclusion, and managing stress. Presenter (S2) said partner organizations — including Laurel House, the Arc Alliance, the Montgomery County Commissioner's Office, victim services, the community college and local law enforcement — teach the lesson material to the high-school leaders before those students present to younger peers.
Meeting participant (S3) said the peer perspective made the material resonate: “We’ve explored all different kinds of topics, and a lot of these topics are things that we’ve been taught a lot of times as a younger generation, and we’re just trying to have it come from a different point of view.” Meeting participant (S4) described a session on managing stress and said it “totally helped out.”
Presenter (S6) praised Mission Kids’ curriculum and called the program an “unparalleled leadership opportunity” for high school students. Presenter (S6) also said Amber Savings Bank provided funding for portions of the program, thanking the bank and Representative Webster for support.
Speakers framed the program’s goals as long-term: Presenter (S1) said she hoped students would carry the skills into adolescence and adulthood, increasing respect and improving communication in schools. Meeting participant (S7) called Community Cares “one of the best programs” faculty have run.
There were no formal motions or votes in the recorded remarks. Presenters and students emphasized program design, partner involvement and local funding as key elements of implementation.
