realfriends

Issue: In our school, there are several social groups (cliques) that dominate the climate of the school. Students report that they do not feel comfortable meeting new people at school, especially people who are not in a similar social group.

Solution: "realfriends" is a social-action project intended to CONNECT students within the school. Students report that while they can connect via electronic social networks, these connections are not real; they are not “realfriends.” This social action project will help students meet people face-to-face and develop interpersonal skills and confidence in meeting “real” people. Building relationships is important in high school because these experiences teach young adults how to socialize and foster interactions with a variety of people throughout their lives. Adapting to social situations is an important skill in the 21st century, where young people will be transient and live and work in a multi-cultural world.

Plan: A group of 17 students will organize a series of social encounters to be arranged during non-instructional time. These encounters facilitate the meeting of new people through specific socializing activities. For example, the 17 students will be responsible for activities such as:
• Planning short conversations where the participants are blindfolded. This would be an ice-breaker activity
• Identifying participants with a bracelet to see who is also interested in realfriends. The bracelet will be colour-coded for the future planning of events
• Organizing Flashmobs to heighten awareness of particular social issues that are important to the school community
• Building community within the school by using t-shirts to identify mutual realfriends

Mise à jour (11 février 2011)

Partner community organization(s): Children's Wish Foundation. As part of this project, the high school students have planned an awareness campaign (a flashmob) to promote the Children's Wish Foundation. 240 students will participate in this campaign.

Mise à jour (21 mars 2011)

Our Imagineaction project has been more of a success than I anticipated. The students have just published a book about their project, realfriends.
This collection of student essays offers insights into the importance of "real" friends, the social problems created by technological dependency, the ways in which we might change societal behaviour, as well as reflections about their social action project, realfriends.

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/realfriends-stop-cliquing-start-connecting/15153735

Mise à jour (21 juin 2011)

Grade 12 student Mitch Redden, who came up with the original idea for creating a face-to-face social network, was recognized by the Nova Scotia Premier of Education. Mitch was awarded the Premier's Power of Positive Change Award in June 2011.

http://powerofpositivechange.ca/recipients_2010_11.shtml

Mise à jour (21 juin 2011)

May, 2011: A local elementary school teacher reads chapters from the book "realfriends: stop cliquing, start connecting" to her Grade 5/6 class. The elementary class visits Avon View High School to meet with the 15 founders of realfriends and discuss issues concerning digital citizenship and the importance of "real" friends. The joint session involved roughly 45 students and guest educators from the school board and Department of Education who came to listen to students' ideas about digital citizenship.