Impact in a Middle School

In California, Lorien Eck began implementing LVEP at John Muir Middle School in South Central Los Angeles in the Fall of 2002, her first year there and her first year of teaching. During her second year at the school, she invited the rest of the staff to join her in teaching LVEP. Twenty teachers, twenty percent of the staff, responded with a "yes" and obtained the activity books midway through the year. This 2004-2005 school year, LVEP students have posted peace slogans around the school, banners, and created values word art as a culminating project on the Tolerance Unit.

Ms Eck comments: "After teaching for three years in South Central Los Angeles in a middle school and implementing Living Values Education Program in my classroom, I have personally felt safer, more at ease, and have enjoyed teaching overall much more than I thought I would have! I have seen that at the school-wide level, there is a climate of peace within the school grounds, despite shooting and rampant gang-related activity outside. One of our school administrators mentioned at a staff meeting this spring that the school atmosphere has been very peaceful this school year. And, finally, I have noticed reduced fighting amongst students in and outside of the classrooms, as well calmer and more tolerant day-to-day behaviors in general."