KiVa Antibullying Program Expands to Dubai
The Jumeira Baccalaureate School in Dubai has recently joined the KiVa antibullying community.
KiVa program is a research and evidence-based antibullying program developed in the University of Turku with the funding from the Ministry of Education and Culture. The program is based on three main elements: prevention, intervention and monitoring. In Finland, KiVa program is currently implemented in over 900 schools. The program is also present in 22 countries outside of Finland.
The Jumeira Baccalaureate School (JBS), situated in the heart of Jumeirah in Dubai, one of the latest additions into KiVa community. JBS is an authorised International Baccalaureate World School offering the four IB programs to students with over 75 different nationalities. In 2018, the school introduced Character Education in its teaching and learning profile. JBS was awarded the Kitemark School of Character by the Association for Character Education as the first Kitemark school outside the UK in 2020. To further promote student well-being and the school’s core values of respect, responsibility, resourcefulness and resilience, JBS reached out to the University of Turku to become part of the KiVa family.
“Even though we have seen our absence of bullying data improve over the past five years, we feel that the KiVa antibullying program can support our students even more to do the right thing even when no one is looking,” says Richard Drew, Principal of JBS.
“Teacher training colleges tend to focus mainly on the craft of teaching and learning, but seldom support teachers on how to teach students how to be responsible learners who have a duty to keep the classroom and school safe by treating each other with respect and dignity. We expect that the KiVa anti-bullying program will provide our teachers with the tools to do just that,” continues Vice-Principal Erika Elkady.
Having JBS as a new partner is also appreciated by the KiVa community.
“We at KiVa International are thrilled to welcome the Jumeira Baccalaureate School in the KiVa family! Building a bullying-free school community is a marathon and not a hundred-meter sprint, and getting everyone on board – students, parents and staff members – is essential. We are ready to embark on this mission together!” says KiVa’s Deputy International Program Manager Anna Murgo.