School Adoption Program

Program Description

The Omega School Adoption Program assists schools in transforming its environment to become a place where teachers can teach and students can learn. School Adoption accomplishes this by providing training and technical assistance to school faculty and staff in the Omega/Street Soldiers Violence Prevention Methodology, with the goal of infusing this methodology into the fabric of the school. The school then becomes a place that understands how to prevent violence. Since the program began in 2000, Omega has trained 715 staff at 10 schools, benefiting 11,536 students.

Purpose

Schools must become a positive force in keeping young people alive and free. The purpose of adopting schools is to have the teachers, staff and students work together to make the school free from violence and create a climate that is conducive to learning. When this happens, teachers are able to teach and therefore touch students in a way they never did before. When students are in violence free environment conducive to learning, they achieve.

The Training

The first step is for Omega staff to train faculty and staff, in the Omega/Street Soldiers Violence Prevention Methodology. This involves several hours of instruction outside the classroom. Faculty are expected to look at their own values and their own risk factors for violence and to change themselves so that they can change the students.

Each training:

1. Identifies and explains risk factors that result in destructive behavior and how they present themselves.

2. Teaches methods of dealing with psychological and emotional residue of fear, anger, and pain. Omega teaches nine specific concepts about violence prevention.

3. Teaches rules for living that result in healthy lifestyles.

Each school forms a steering committee to plan how the school will infuse teaching the Omega model into the fabric and culture of the school. Adopted schools have created a host of different activities to integrate the Omega into the school environment. Some have used creative writing exercises and classroom discussions to implement Omega's teachings. Many adopted schools have dedicated a certain period of each week in which every class teaches the same violence prevention lesson.

Sampling of school-initiated activities:

• Special weekly student group with Omega staff.
• Student leaders who are trained and become ambassadors for the Omega model.
• Violence prevention messages over the school's public address system.
• Recognition and incentives for classes completing 10, 20 or 30 days with no destructive language in the classroom.
• School-wide assemblies in which Omega staff speak and/or teachers teach through skits.
• School-wide violence prevention lessons.
• Poster and art and essay contests.
• Students and staff speaking on the Street Soldiers radio show.

All activities share the goal of teaching about the Omega model and making the school free from violence and improving the learning climate.

Adopted Schools in 2007-08 School Year

San Francisco:
John Muir Elementary School
Starr King Elementary School
Paul Revere College Preparatory School
Willie Brown Academy

Oakland:
Madison Middle School
Oakland Tech High School

Richmond:
Richmond High School

Results

• Reduction in the number of fights in adopted schools, as well as students saying they got into fewer fights in their communities.

• Teachers and students reporting that the school environment is more positive.

• Improved test scores (Occurring as early as year 1 or 2 year of adoption, with only a portion of the Omega/Street Soldiers model implemented).

Eligibility

Any elementary, middle, or high school that meets four criteria may apply:

1. Support for the adoption from top administrators;
2. An agreement to have an active steering committee guide the implementation of Omega activities;
3. An agreement to have all the faculty trained in the Omega/Street Soldiers Violence Prevention Methodology violence prevention model; and
4. An agreement to infuse Omega teachings into the curriculum and to create activities that affect the entire school.

Fee

Omega Boys Club will negotiate a workable fee with the school.