One of We The People’s founding premises of the organization states “that (we) at the very minimum must decide to choose between being involved in a process for change or continue to accept a broken system.” Within context, we believe that the societal system within which we live and learn needs the “collective participation of Bahamian citizens and residents if WE are to build and advance the progressive development of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas”.
With the myriad of challenges and pressures facing today’s students and teachers, it is essential that school curriculum include strategies to help students make better decisions, communicate and collaborate effectively, and solve problems creatively. As such, and based on the input and engagement of a member, the idea of embracing broader emotional intelligence (EQ) training within our institutions was proposed. The concept was further advanced to propose the development of a curriculum within our primary and secondary schools to provide such exposure in a consistent, structured way. The 6 Seconds conceptual approach was suggested as the basis for a curriculum that could be implemented to provide an increased, integrated approach to social development and emotional intelligence training among our youth.
Embraced by The Ministry and Minister of Education, a proposal to pilot the concept within several schools has been developed where students in identified primary, junior and senior high schools will participate during the upcoming school year. As a part of this preparation, an orientation session was held to introduce the model and concept to guidance counselors and family life teachers at a workshop hosted by We The People on February 22nd at The Anatol Rodgers High School.
Noting the significance of the potential impact of this style of soft skills training, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Mrs. Elma Garraway, re-affirmed the Ministry’s commitment to the pursuit of programmes designed to enhance the educational and learning experience stating “the seeds planted today towards the development of this pilot project could very well yield good fruit for many years to come. The importance of sound decision-making is fundamental to the preparation of the student in his or her learning experience”.
We The People Executive Director Philip Simon also noted the intent of the project to position students to become more responsible and emotionally equipped in addressing situations relative to ‘bullying, anger management, conflict resolution, accountability and more’.
Facilitated by Dr. Barbara Fatum, a level II certified trainer with the Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Organization ( www.6Seconds.org ) and the Director of Assessment/School Psychologist for the Synapse School in Menlo Park, California ( www.synapseschool.org ); attendees were exposed to the Six Seconds Social and Emotional Learning philosophy and how it can be taught within the school system. In a very engaging workshop session, Dr. Fatum provided the teachers with a comprehensive overview of the self science, inclusive of the relevant research on emotional literacy and cognitive learning, as well as a myriad of practical examples of implementation and applications surrounding EQ competencies.
About Six Seconds
Six Seconds is a global organization supporting people-performance and positive change. Established in 1997, Six Seconds is the most extensive organization of its kind in the world, led by an amazing team of change agents in 10 countries, and supporting practitioners in over 75 countries. Six Seconds offers transformational learning and development programs, scientifically validated assessments, and effective consulting processes to increase the people-side of performance — all grounded in current neuroscience.
With a 13-year track-record, Six Seconds serves a range of clients from medium and large enterprise (e.g, Microsoft, Rotana, FedEx, HSBC) to government and NGO (e.g., UN), to schools and communities around the globe. Results include faster change, increased engagement, stronger leadership, and greater social responsibility.
