Here4U
Who
Here4u on Rudbeckianska gymnasium Västerås city
Why
Working together to make the school a safer place, working against bullying, racism, violence, empowerment and for friendship.
Here4u group of Rudbeckianska gymnasium, have together prepared the following values:
Here4u on has one goal: to do our best for you at the Rudbeckian gymnasium to be as good as possible. To make you feel safe, fellowship and joy.
Everyone at school can contact Here4U. This applies both if you think somebody is feeling alone or otherwise insecure, and if you feel alone or otherwise insecure yourself.
Working together to make the school a safer place, working against bullying, racism, violence, empowerment and for friendship.
What
Here4U started in 2002 at a school in Västerås. A group of teenage students wanted to make the school a safer place for all. They knew what was going on in the corridors and around school. , One of the staff members was appointed to support the group, and together they started here4U. The group got bigger, and after a while other schools heard about them and also started their own groups with young people.
Today - about 50 schools have active here4U-groups. About 600 children and teenagers are members at their school. The young ones (9-12 years old) are called here4U Junior, and the older ones (13-19 years) are here4U.
The groups do a lot of things - the young ones do things like "Play of the week", lunch discos, making here4U-days at school and so on. The older ones focus more on working together to make the school a safer place, working against bullying, racism, violence and for friendship. Each and every young person in school and beyond is important. Some groups collect money and clothes for the homeless, do activities for refugees - one group even went to Greece to help.
All groups have one or two adults/tutors, working at the school each semester to help them forward. The adults in the network meet three times each semester, to learn more and discuss important topics. The students also have meetings regularly, based on respect, equality and inclusion.
Here4U is also a non-profit association, including counseling for boys (13-25 years old). Anyone can be a member of the here4U association. The association also provides activities for young people in volunteer groups called Brotherhood and Sisterhood. Members of Brotherhood and Sisterhood can additionally work in a Bigbrother/Bigsister-program, where they can act as a role model and support for a younger boy or girl who needs, and wants, a big brother or sister.
How
All groups have one or two adults/tutors, working at the school each semester to help them forward. The adults in the network meet three times each semester, to learn more and discuss important topics. The students also have meetings regularly, based on respect, equality and inclusion.
Effect/Assessment
Several evaluations have been made showing good results. Attach abstract from two papers made by students at the University of the School of Law, Psychology and Social Work at Örebro university.
The purpose of the presented study was to examine how young people perceive their participation in the student union Here 4 U, when it comes to their belief in their own capacity and ability. In order to find the answer to this question, a qualitative interview method with semi structured interview manual was performed. To be able to understand and explain how these young people have developed a faith in their own ability, the concept of self-efficacy has been used as a theoretical tool. Eight young people, who had been members of Here 4 U for a longer period of time participated in the study. These persons responded to several question, adapted to the different subject areas Here 4 U are active within. The results of this study showed that a belief in the own ability had been developed within all of these areas, though more significant within some areas, than others.
The result of the study also proved that the knowledge they had acquired through education and lectures given within the frames of the organisation, contributed to the belief in the ability to make the rights choices in life.
The students participating in the survey also mentioned the support from tutors and the group belonging as important factors influencing them to further develop this belief. The conclusion we can derive on the basis of the results are that Here 4 U had relevance for young people's development of a belief in the own capacity.
The present study sought to examine the collaborative role of the student organization Here 4 U and the impact of this collaboration on the organization and its partners. As a point of departure a questionnaire was distributed to supervisors, principals and other cooperation partners of Here 4 U, the most prominent quantitative results of which were related to previous research, new institutional theory and empowerment theory. It turned out that partners interacting with Here 4 U felt that the collaboration was necessary and wanted to continue with it. The respondents to the questionnaire were asked to define the concept of collaboration. Factors emphasized by respondents included feeling of community, security, and common goals. The respondents considered the effects of interaction in relation to young people to be positive and maintained that work with young people had been improved by this collaboration. The results of the investigation were then commented on in an interview with the coordinator working for Here 4 U. It transpired that all cooperation partners were
pleased with the collaboration with Here 4 U, not only for their own sake, but also for the benefit of preventive work carried out with and for young people.
When
Continuously, mostly during school semesters
Resources
- Clothes
- Flyers
- Posters
- Roll-up
- Website
- Facebook
- Meetings
- Contract, rules that h4u members follow
- Activities
- Language friend
- Lunch friends for those students who are back alone in the lunch room