A group of high school students gathered today for the first session of Creating Peace. Over the next 12 weeks, these students will work together to learn what makes a healthy relationship - whether it's a friendship, connection to a family member, a romantic relationship, or even relationships with teachers and other adults.
Creating Peace is a program made possible through Steel Valley's participation in The Pittsburgh Study with the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Pediatric and UPMC Children's Hospital. Steel Valley has held several previous sessions of Creating Peace and has continuously offered feedback to the organizers to help refine the curriculum so that it can provide the greatest benefit possible to the student participants. The sessions are organized through the office of Mr. Olando Dulin, the district's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator.
In turn, the students can provide feedback and data through surveys that The Pittsburgh Study can use to further study and analyze a number of different key areas of mental and emotional health amongst children.
Today, the students focused on completing an in-depth survey and learned a bit more about the program. In their next session, they'll begin diving into the curriculum and start learning more about healthy relationships.