Five school-based programs:

COPA offers five different school-based programs, each one oriented to different age groups or focusing on different issues. These include our core program, called the Child Assault Prevention (CAP) Project (or Le Projet ESPACE, in French), and our anti-bullying program, called Adults and Children Together (ACT) (or Agir ensemble, in French which is formally endorsed by the Ontario Ministry of Education.

 

Bullying Prevention Workshops for Educators and Support Staff - The Power to Change

COPA offers a day-long Workshop (based on the staff component of the whole-school bullying prevention, the ACT Program).

Participants in this workshop have the opportunity to explore the issue of bullying at school.

Topics include the scope of the problem, and its impact on the school community.

Participants will learn more about distinguishing between daily conflict and bullying, and appropriate strategies for intervention. Participants will also have an opportunity to learn more about and practice COPA's unique approach to intervention with students and peers ('tools, not rules'). They will participate in guided exercises designed to enhance their ability to identify bullying situations and to respond constructively. 

The Power to Change workshop is designed to provide participants with time to develop practical skills that can be applied in their daily work lives.Participants share experiences and practical strategies in a format designed to enhance their capacity and confidence.This exchange is designed for immediate and positive application in the classroom, lunchroom and playground.

The Power to Change workshop has been offered to rave reviews around the province, in conjunction with the Ontario Teachers' Federation (OTF) and the Francophone Provincial Teachers' Association (AEFO) with funding from the Ontario Ministry of Education.

 

Unique characteristics:

The programs that COPA offers have many unique characteristics that are not found in other assault prevention education programs, COPA's assault prevention programs are based on the concept of facilitating the empowering those who are vulnerable to assault by helping develop problem-solving skills and developing community networks.

COPA's programs for adults and students centre on capacity-building and provide a roster of resources that are adaptable to various milieux, such as rural and urban settings, special needs populations, Newcomers to Canada and multicultural milieux.

 

Programs are adapted to community reality:

All of our programs utilize pedagogical tools that enable communities to adapt to various rural and urban settings, different socio-economic classes, variations in learning abilities and racial, ethnic and cultural differences.

 

Programs are interactive:

Programs are offered in small groups (usually class by class or, for adults, in informal groupings), utilizing role play, games, discussion and private interactive time, with the goal of facilitating problem-solving tools that can be applied in a wide variety of difficult and/or dangerous situations. Male and female facilitators are trained by certified Trainers and are themselves certified following a thorough apprenticeship period adapted to the particular program being offered.

 

Programs are well-received:

COPA’s programs are immensely popular throughout the province, and only funding shortages impede their wider dissemination. Programs reflect careful conceptualization, design and implementation by Facilitators who are skilled in prevention programming.

 

Tools not Rules:

The goal underlying our programs is summed up in the simple phrase: “tools, not rules”. Programs are designed to facilitate problem-solving and critical thinking skills and help participants develop their ability to prevent and manage conflict with freedom, dignity and support.

Our motto, Safe, Strong and Free reflects the guiding principles upon which all of our programs are built. Our aim is to recognize the rights and facilitate the empowerment of participants, and to encourage communities to take collective ownership of the problem of violence and violence prevention.

 

New skills and information:

All programs are designed to enhance participants’ ability to identify and respond to abusive or potentially dangerous situations. They are interactive, emphasizing skill development and peer and adult support. Programs bring new skills and information to communities requiring strategies to deal with issues that typically leave them feeling powerless and vulnerable.

Building self-esteem, peer support and adult/community support are the building blocks of our programs.

 

Feminist and anti-oppression analysis:

We recognize that violence has complex causes, and that our abilities to avoid, prevent and deal with aggression can be influenced by factors related to isolation, dependence and lack of information, factors exacerbated by gender, race, class, age, sexual orientation, ability, etc. Our programs are informed by this analysis and are supported by learning tools designed by COPA. Learning activities are positive, participatory and respectful of our learners’ and clients’ varying needs.