Home / Information / Cherbourg Success Stories / Strong and Smart Values Program

Strong and Smart Values Program

Aim

The Strong and Smart Values Program aims to teach children a set of core values that promote peace, truth, love and non-violence in all interactions both within and out of the school.

Background

The Strong and Smart Values program was introduced in Cherbourg State School in 2001. The program was initially developed and implemented in Murwillumbah Public School, in northern New South Wales. The program was taken to the Cherbourg community to test it against the espoused values of the local community. There was strong support by the local community for its implementation in Cherbourg State School as the values presented in the program were in keeping with traditional Indigenous values. Read more

Why it Works

It empowers children by developing their self reflection skills and by practicing appropriate behaviours and responses to different issues. It allows the children to make mistakes and through reflection activities, ask themselves questions like ‘What did I do that didn’t work?’, and ‘How can I fix it?’. Read more

Keys to keeping this initiative alive

A strong commitment from all staff, teachers and teacher aides, to continue implementing the program is most important for the program to continue. In order to maintain this commitment staff will need to be supported through ongoing professional development and dialogue. Read more

Advice to others who might want to try this in their communities

Cherbourg staff said ‘Do it!’ As long as you have training for staff to implement the program and ongoing support and discussion, it is effective and easily facilitated in the classroom as well as incidentally in the school generally.

Initially there are basic activities to support new staff in the classroom and with support and professional development, the staff personally develop as it becomes part of what they do each day both explicitly and implicitly.

It is important that the program be reviewed and adapted, depending on the specific context in which it is implemented. It is vital that initial discussion with the school community and wider community occurs so that there is a community commitment to the program. The recognition that what the school is going to do is in line with traditional Indigenous values is critical to its success.

Print this page