Stand For Courage is an American non-profit organization heavily featured in The Upstanders,[1] an IndieFlix documentary film. It was founded in 2011 by Nicole Jon Sievers,[2] licensed clinical social worker, social justice advocate, author of It's Your Mind: Own It. A Manual for Every Teen[3] and The One and Only You,[4] and a Seattle Music Commissioner.
Joining with Ms. Sievers were Dr. Jessica Swain Bradway of the University of Oregon (currently the director of the Northwest PBIS[5]) and Dr. Scott Ross. Ross and Sievers continued to develop the school-based activation of Stand For Courage, with Dr. Ross applying for and winning an American Psychological Visionary Award Grant for the foundation in 2014.[6] Ross has also been published extensively in numerous journals, including the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, School Psychology Quarterly, Teaching Exceptional Children, Education and Treatment of Children, Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, Journal of Special Education, and the Journal of Positive Behavior Support.[5]
The organization works to establish a culture of courageous bystander activism to stop bullying in schools and the community. It aims to publicly shift power to the youth who engage in pro-community behavior by inspiring them to "get caught doing the right thing."[7]
SFC works to achieve this by providing a data-backed, teen-tested curriculum to schools that celebrates active bystanders who embody inclusion and kindness by employing stories and creativity, and partnering with celebrities and media outlets for high-impact recognition of stand-up behavior coming out of program implementation through the power of cultural currency.[7]
The curriculum was developed through "the evidence-based methodology of positive reinforcement and a strengths perspective"[8] in a stand-alone module, while also containing snap-in capabilities for existing programs. It was designed to offer middle- and high-school students the strategies needed to support one another when they witness incidents of bullying and with the goal of allowing any town or city, regardless of size or resources, to implement the model.
Research from Stand for Courage revealed that many anti-bullying programs "have shown less than ideal results,[9]" often due to being adult-driven, punishment-based, and reactive. SFC sought to build positive, durable, student-driven supports that fit individual school contexts.
The program does not focus on the bully or the target of bullying, but on the bystanders, working to empower them to de-escalate a situation when they see negative, bullying behavior.
Mission
Led by students establishing a bystander culture to stop bullying, Stand For Courage employs stories, creativity, and popular-culture for high-impact recognition.
Organization
This non-profit consists of a board containing five founding members and five additional members, a panel of four board advisors, and a panel of four strategic advisors.
Stand For Courage is also supported by creative partners, Refinery Creative,[18] IndieFlix Foundation,[19]KEXP Radio, Swift Digital & Design, and KING 5 News.
Research
The Stand For Courage curriculum is currently being utilized by students in Colorado, Utah, Kentucky, Oregon, and Washington,[20] and has reported successes in substantially reducing bullying and other menacing behavior. Anecdotal evidence suggests the program lends to suicide prevention.[21]
A study evaluating Stand For Courage's effectiveness in six high schools in the Mountain West was published in 2022 in The High School Journal and The University of North Carolina Press. Researchers found that, among other positive results, "students in SfC schools were 51.9% less likely to report victimization and 53.8% less likely to report perpetration compared to students in control schools."[22]
SFC implementation in schools and research study inquiries are managed by SFC co-founder and board member, Board Certified Behavioral Analyst, and Ph.D., Scott Ross.[23]
Media Coverage
2019 Feature in a local San Diego magazine
L'Chaim San Diego Magazine, Go with all your heart[24]
2019 Partnership Fundraiser with Courtney Love garners national & international magazine coverage.
