Altamont Heritage Panel Members, 2011

About the Heritage Panel

The Heritage Panel program empowers a diverse group of student leaders to make their school a more inclusive and welcoming place by creating a climate which discourages bullying and harassing behavior.

This year-long program begins by training 25 students and 5 educators in an intensive two-day workshop.  During the training, participants are asked to look within themselves and their school community and make personal commitments to improving relations at school.  Students prepare to sit on a panel and discuss issues which are relevant to their school experience and often include cliques, race, gender, cultural backgrounds, and exclusion.  Educators prepare to moderate discussions of similar issues.

Following the training, Heritage Panelists return to school ready to share what they have learned through Heritage Panel presentations.  The audience is most often a class, and following the panel presentation, the audience is invited to participate in a discussion of issues relating to the presentation.  Schools are free to choose how they use Heritage Panels and how many students are reached with them.  In the past presentations have been given to an assortment of classes across grade levels and subject areas, to the PTA, and to community organizations. 

The Heritage Panel program is a program which works on a number of levels.  First, the presentations to audiences at school allow potentially inflammatory issues to be discussed and dealt with in a proactive manner before they turn violent.  Also, the 25 students who go through the training have a transforming experience.  Following the training, they interact with one another and other students with increased sensitivity and compassion.  They become empowered to be positive role models who affect the overall climate of the school.  Additionally, educators get crucial support and new tools to teach conflict management. 

The Heritage Panel program is run by AmeriCorps Members.  For more information about the AmeriCorps program, visit their website.