It may be a small space, but the idea behind it comes with a lot of heart.
A North Vancouver school has introduced a buddy bench – a tool to help promote inclusion among students.
“The [idea for the] bench came forward from a parent and her daughter in our Grade 2 class here at Brockton School and they had heard about it on the Internet,” said Karen McCulla, headmaster of the school.
“The idea started in Germany I believe and made its way to North America.”
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The buddy bench is about friendship and inclusion. If a student is feeling left out or looking for a friend to play with, they can go and sit on the bench and that lets other students know they are looking for a ‘buddy’.
Brockton School has had its bench for about a month and McCulla says it has been popular so far.
“People are really connecting and students are finding it something that is attractive,” she said.
What do you think of this idea?