News and Editorials

DRAMATIC CULTURAL CHANGE in a BAY AREA HIGH SCHOOL

San Jose, Calif., December 6, 2006-- Changing an entire high school culture is no mean feat, particularly in multi-cultural Silicon Valley, where urban schools have students from fifty different language heritages alone!

This year SVCCJ's high school programs, Common Ground and Camp Everytown, have done just that at Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, California.

"Common Ground was an amazing experience that has dramatically altered the way we begin school," says Principal Peggy Raun-Linde.

"Training over 75 freshmen, before their first day of school, allowed us to have 1 in 5 students within freshmen classes knowledgeable and sensitive to issues of diversity: race, gender, sexual orientation, economics and more. Our student population is extremely diverse," says Raun-Linde.

"Training students to not only tolerate but to celebrate, honor, and protect this diversity is critical for our success now and society’s success in the future."

"Many of the students who attended Common Ground stepped up immediately to lead and help our Everytown students maintain Fremont High School as an inclusive, safe and supportive environment. With approximately 20% of our student body trained via Everytown, and with the addition of the Common Ground training, our final step is to run an Everytown for all staff. It is truly an exceptional and special climate, one that would not exist without Everytown and Common Ground," says Raun-Linde.

"Fremont High School is a Common Ground for every student: It is Everytown! All of this thanks to SVCCJ and our sponsors."

This past August Fremont High School students and staff reprised their highly successful Camp Everytown experience at YMCA Point Bonita camp in the Marin Headlands and their successful Common Ground program at the school in Sunnyvale. SVCCJ holds Camp Everytown programs almost every week in the active school year; Common Ground is held in August. To arrange program visits, including photo opportunities, call: Bart Charlow at 408-286-9663, ext. 326.

About SVCCJ

The Silicon Valley Conference for Community & Justice (formerly known as NCCJ Silicon Valley Region, but no longer affiliated with NCCJ) has led the fight against bigotry, racism and exclusion in the Bay Area and Northern California for 41 years. The organization empowers people of diverse backgrounds to build just communities where each person is treated with respect and understanding.

Each year and through a variety of programs, SVCCJ reaches 20,000 victims of crime, 14,000 youth and educators, 500 community volunteers and leaders and engages more than 300 faith leaders in innovative educational programs throughout the Silicon Valley.

Among the organization’s educational programs are Camp Everytown (formerly known as Anytown USA), Growing Circle (formerly known as Green Circle), Victim Witness Assistance, Holocaust Studies & Critical Thinking, Common Ground, Interfaith Dialogues, Leadership Today, Dr. Martin Luther King Student Contest, Experiencing Diversity & Interrupting Prejudice and Flash Judgments.

SVCCJ is located at 777 North First Street, Ste. 220, San Jose, California. Please visit www.svccj.org for more information. ###