Buckeye Elementary School implements new program to empower pupils
Buckeye Elementary School is implementing the My Life My Power program to about 70 students, officials said.
Executive Director Daniel Puder presented the program to fifth- through eighth-grade pupils on Sept. 17.
The program helps children build their self-esteem so they can find purpose and fulfillment in their lives. Children will then less likely take part in bullying, he said.
In 2010, Puder, 31, founded My Life My Power, a national anti-bullying and youth development nonprofit organization, according to its website.
In Arizona, Buckeye Elementary School is the first school that has opted to use the program.
Puder is currently launching the program in 32 states. Schools in Canada and the United Kingdom also recently implemented the program, he said.
Bullying is an important issue for Puder because he was once a victim. As a youth, students harassed him because he was in special education classes, he said.
Although he was bullied growing up, he would later have a successful career as a mixed martial arts fighter.
With his fighting days behind him, he now focuses his attention on helping children lead successful lives.
“If we don’t teach them the right ways to deal with challenges in life and create more wisdom, then they’re not going to be as successful as they could be,” he said.
Puder initially developed the program as a way to stop bullying. However, he realized bullying is a symptom of a deeper issue that the child is experiencing, he said.
“I started doing research and development on what the biggest challenges were so we could solve the core root issues instead of just dealing with the symptoms,” Puder said.
The program uses an approach called motivational interviewing.
Instead of telling children what to do, the approach involves asking questions and guiding them so they make the right decisions, he said.
Family therapists and psychologists use the same approach, and “we just broke it down for kids,” he said.
The My Life My Power book program is an interactive workbook that focuses on life skills and self-development.
The program is a tool that takes children on a journey of self-discovery. The workbook covers a range of topics such as discovering one’s passions, establishing goals and leadership.
If the children empower themselves, then “they will be able to deal with whatever challenges in life they may face in a positive way,” he said.
Thus, the bullying mindset is diminished because children have learned to overcome their issues, he said.
Empowering pupils
Buckeye Police Officer Jeffrey Lumadue, who is also the school resource officer, said he was responsible for bringing My Life My Power to the school.
The program would be beneficial because “we do have bullying issues here at the school,” he said.
Many of the students are dealing with complex family issues including parents who are incarcerated, he said.
“A lot of these kids feel like they’ve kinda been dealt bad cards, and they can’t get out of it,” Lumadue said.
The program teaches students that it is not about their life’s circumstances. They have the power to take control of their lives, he said.
“We want to show them that they can empower themselves and be whoever they want,” he said.
Lumadue will introduce the book program to about 70 sixth-graders in the next few weeks, he said.
In addition, Puder will Skype with about 13 pupils from the group to track their progress until the end of the school year, he said.
Puder is bringing something positive into the children’s lives so they can “be great citizens, be mentors for their community,” Lumadue said.
Frances Torrez can be reached by email at ftorrez@westvalleyview.com.
source:
https://www.westvalleyview.com/archives/my-life-my-power/article_5ca339ec-6d2d-5d1e-a6e3-1d1a4d22c8eb.html