For the safety and well being of the children of our nationTe Mana ō tātou Tamariki - Kōrero Pono The power of our children - Speaking truthJSU TRUST Mission Statement, Purposes and Outline of Programme DesignMission The Trust’s aim is to create a safe nation with safe children in safe families.The Jade Speaks Up Trust has a core belief that all children deserve a safe childhood. And that children are very vulnerable when adults are stressed or angry.Integral to our mission is Article 36 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child which states: Children should be protected from any activities that could harm their development. PurposesThe first purpose of the Trust is to produce long-term change through a community development approach to children's safety and well-being. The community development is begun and led by schools so the change is focused on the children and developed by people committed to practicing and promoting Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The second purpose of the JSU Trust is to engage with communities, whanau, individuals, and agencies to model and develop healthy and safe relationships. This will lead to children, teachers, and families being supported by agencies to identify and take collective action on issues that are important to them.Outline of JSU programme designThe Jade Speaks Up programme is delivered by teachers to address wellbeing and safety for children aged between 8-12 years. It was developed by New Zealand educators and violence prevention experts, then researched under the leadership of Dr. Geoff Bridgman of Unitec, Auckland. It is unique in New Zealand because it specifically addresses family harm within the safe context of the classroom. Children learn how to identify people they can trust, and how to create a safety plan in case they are around adults becoming angry or violent. They learn about emotional literacy and self-calming strategies which are both linked to an easily remembered ‘jingle’ which children can recall even if feeling frightened. And they learn how to be ‘upstanders’ rather than bystanders, so they can get help for other children who may not know what to do when in an unsafe situation. Teachers are trained and supervised by the JSU team. This external supportive supervision for teachers is also unique to programmes to which teachers have access. We provide teacher manuals, films, and resources all aligned to the NZ Health Curriculum. This programme is focused on mental/ emotional well-being and safety from family harm and bullying.Development History Initially launched in 2014 and delivered by the Logos Youth Workers in some inner-city Auckland schools, this programme was then piloted from 2017 until March 2020 within 18 schools by 104 teachers to 3,277 students, in several areas from Auckland to Southland. Some schools now repeat the programme every year because teachers are seeing the positive impact this is having for students and families. With Covid related stresses, this type of programme will be needed even more for teachers at the ‘chalkface of interacting with children regularly and hearing of families in crisis. Details of this project and the research results can be found on our website www.jadespeaksup.co.nz
