How to Be an Ally

Yesterday, Allies Club hosted a training for Upper School Students on “How To Be An Ally”, presented by French Teacher and Class IX Dean Brett Herb. While an RA at the University of Kentucky, Mrs. Herb was trained in the acclaimed Green Dot Bystander Intervention program, a nationally recognized program used on college campuses and in the United States military. Mrs. Herb presented a modified version of the training aimed at helping Waterford students address unkind or uncomfortable interactions on our campus. Students learned and practiced strategies to intervene comfortably when they hear unkindness or see a student who seems in need of an ally. Students role-played situations like “What can you do if someone seems hurt by a joke?” and “How might you respond when you hear a peer use a slur?” The Allies Club wants students to remember that they can be constructive allies in many ways: with kind, direct feedback; by diffusing tension through redirection; and through engaging in our community to make it a kinder and more inclusive place.