KIDSBRIDGE TOLERANCE MUSEUM
on campus at The College of New Jersey (Ewing)

PEER TO PEER LEADERSHIP TRAINING
for MIDDLE SCHOOLERS

in tolerance, diversity appreciation and character education.

The Kidsbridge Peer to Peer Leadership Training program trains middle schoolers (i.e. sixth, seventh and eighth) how to be docents a.k.a. exhibit specialists at the Kidsbridge museum of tolerance.

Middle schoolers are assigned (or self-select) one of the Kidsbridge exhibits and are trained to be experts on that exhibit.

1. POSITIVE CHOICES TO NAME CALLING/ DIVERSITY APPRECIATION
2. BYSTANDER BEHAVIOR
3. SENSITIVITY TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
4. DARFUR – SENSITIVITY AND EMPATHY
5. STEREOTYPES – WHAT THEY ARE AND HOW TO RECOGNIZE
6. COMPUTER LAB- MAKING GOOD CHOICES IN SCHOOL, HOME AND LIFE
7. HEROES ROOM – KIDS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
8. SELF ESTEEM – “POWER CHARGING” YOUR ESTEEM AND PRIDE
9. PREJUDICE & NAME SHREDDER- HOW TO ERADICATE NAMES THAT HURT YOUR FEELINGS
10. TELL STORIES & SHARING – LISTEN TO OTHERS BEING MADE FUN OF AND SHARE YOUR STORY

Also   DISCRIMINATION ISSUES
         a) Japanese Internment during WW II
         b) African- American discrimination
         c) Sensitivity to Native Americans
         d) The plight of migrant farm workers

Then, as docents, the students teach their peers or upper elementary students assembled in small groups in the museum.

In addition, the young “docents” are trained in:

• Definitions in prejudice, bullying and discrimination
• Root causes of exclusion
• How to initiate and balance dialog and conversation with students
• Heroes, bystanders and victims
• Being a better bystander

Typically, between eight and twelve peers are trained to be leadership docents in one visit. On subsequent visits, classes visit the museum, broken into small groups of three, four or five that rotate from exhibit to exhibit.

Tours of the TCNJ college campus are available as an option.

For more information on this program, place contact Lynne Azarchi, Executive Director at 609-581-0239.

“It was fascinating to watch these students transform themselves from shy presenters into confident experts in their assigned area.  This has been an excellent leadership training program for my students.”

Guidance Counselor
Dunn Middle School