Development of the Resource Materials

Our goal to develop these resources required that we develop a viable model and an implementation strategy, through extensive consultation and collaboration with key stakeholders.  A Steering Committee was formed which consisted of representatives from Stroh Health Care, the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General (including both BC Corrections Branch and Community Safety and Crime Prevention Branch), Ministry of Education, Student Wellness and Safety Branch, and the Surrey School District.

Under the direction of the Steering Committee three initiatives were undertaken:

1.   Creating an Advisory Group to contribute to the development of Respectful Futures.
The Advisory Group included members of the BC Teachers Federation, First Nations Education Steering Committee, BC Corrections, Ministry of Children and Family, Youth Justice, Abbotsford Community Services, Ending Violence Association of BC, RCMP, the Delta, Surrey and Chetwynd School Districts and BC School Superintendents

2.   Conducting a scan of the literature and existing resources.
A research company was contracted to provide this work and produced a very full report. An in-house project officer then worked through the hundreds of references cited in the report and summarized the report and findings. The scan showed no clear agreement as to what works best, with whom, and under what circumstances, reinforcing our commitment to include program evaluation as an integral part of our process. Further information is provided in the document: "A Brief Summary of a Scan of Literature and Resources".

3.   Consulting with a number of individuals from across BC and various Canadian jurisdictions who have been involved with developing similar programs or conducting research around prevention programs for students.
Drawing upon the best available research evidence and the expertise of professionals and practitioners a list of topics was identified for potential inclusion. We then proposed six modules which would form the outline for the Respectful Futures resource materials. Further information is provided in the document" "Initial Content Development".

We then provided the materials to the Steering Committee and Advisory Group for feedback and engaged in two additional consultations:

1. Advisory Group members conducted a series of consultations with their peers, including educators, school administrators, school counsellors, probation officers, and police.
2. During this time frame (December, 2015 to March, 2016) focus groups were also conducted with 12 to 18-year-old students in a number of different types of school setting.

Further information from these two consultations is provided in the document: "A Summary of Peer and Youth Consultations". We have left a substantial amount of raw feedback in its unedited form to give readers a flavor of the input received, and to honour the work of the Advisory Group members and their colleagues, and the groups of youth who provided input to Stroh Health Care's focus group facilitator.

We then turned to four activities, overseen by the Steering Committee and with ongoing consultation with the Advisory Group:

1.   Developing the materials -- We contracted with a very experienced and highly respected Program Developer to create the six modules based upon all of the research, consultations, and feedback to date.  We contracted with an Education Consultant to work with the Program Developer to provide a perspective, an "education lens" as it were, to assist in creating materials which were consistent with, and which would integrate with, the existing milieu in which teachers work.  The Education Consultant was tasked with developing a Facilitation Guide for teachers and for others delivering the modules.  The draft materials were completed in January, 2017. 

2.   Program Evaluation -- An award-winning Education Research group was retained to advise us as to the best framework by which we could evaluate our process of developing and implementing the resource and also surveying the experience of participants.

3.   Pilot Project -- Once the draft resource materials were completed we were committed to a process of piloting those materials by delivering them in School District settings and subsequently gathering feedback from the participants and those facilitating the delivery.  Further information is provided in the document: "Piloting the Resources".

4.   Website Development -- Our ongoing intention has been to make the Respectful Futures resource materials available throughout the province to all school districts and to those in the community working with out-of-school youth.  We explored options for developing and maintaining a website, in order to have a "home" for the materials where they could be accessed by all.

The creative team spent July and August finalizing the Facilitation Guide, the six Modules and the accompanying six PowerPoints, taking into account all suggestions, comments and observations made by those involved in the pilots, and from those involved on an ongoing basis.

At the end of August, 2017 all materials were sent as final versions for editing and desk-topping.

Further information on the website development, the advisory committee and the evaluation: continuation of lessons learned is provided in the document: "Planning for the Future".