Relationship skills are jobs skills
Written by The SAFE Alliance
Assertive communication and respect for other people are key to success in relationships at home and at work. In fact, problems like bullying, sexual harassment, and aggressive communication are among the top 10 reasons for getting fired.
The Expect Respect Summer Youth Leadership Academy, in collaboration with the Travis County Work-based Learning/Summer Youth Employment Program, increases leadership skills while providing a part-time job. In summer 2017, SAFE hosted two work sites in Austin and Manor serving 29 youth ages 14-17. Participants learned how SAFE supports survivors and works to prevent violence in the community. Working individually and in small groups, participants created vision boards, a mural, a bench, online books to help teachers talk to kids, and public service announcements among other projects. Read what teens learned–
I learned …
- What it is to be a leader and how I could make change in my community
- How to speak up for what I believe in, and a lot about finding my voice
- Calling people names could be sexual harassment
- How to realize when someone is hurt
- How to notice abuse and signs of it
- That communities can bring individuals together to achieve a common goal
- That being an upstander/advocate can create big change in the community
- An effective way to talk to adults, a way that they will actually listen to. This can follow me through life.
- How to communicate and work as a group
- Having empathy
- How to help someone when they are being picked on and knowing the signs of an unhealthy relationship
