Whole School Upstander Program: Student Voice, Agency, and Leadership.

Building Confidence, Empathy, and Social Responsibility through Student Leadership

At the heart of the Stand-Up Project (SUP) is a commitment to the empowerment of students as active, empathetic, and confident members of their school community. In actively being trained in student leadership, participants are not merely learning how to respond to bullying and harassment but are building lifelong skills that make them competent leaders.

The SUP student leadership training experience is much better than typical anti-bullying education. Rather than simply telling students what not to do, SUP creates a positive, proactive culture through collaboration, well-informed planning, and application. Through collaboration, guided planning, and active implementation, students learn how to become leaders in controlling the social climate of their school and leading by example. This is one of the most significant elements of our upstander training for students because it emphasises courage, good thinking, and compassionate action.

What Makes SUP Student Leadership Training Unique?

The Stand-Up Project is student-driven in a manner that is not possible for other programs. Students don't just sit through sessions—students drive the effort to shift their school's culture. They are asked to assess their school's specific needs and develop action plans that are meaningful and relevant to students.

Some of the special features of our student leadership training include:

Student-Led Initiatives
SUP Student Leaders lead awareness campaigns, design inclusive classroom exercises, and lead interactive discussions with younger students.

Peer Influence
Younger students are more likely to learn from older students whom they admire. When student leaders model respectful behaviour, it is a ripple effect throughout the school.

Collaborative Leadership
The students share tasks in teams, using the skills of communication, problem-solving, delegation, and consensus-building—essential leadership skills to perform efficiently in and around the school.

Real-Life Application
SUP activities are experience and practical oriented. Leaders aren't only planning but actually working on initiatives having direct impact around and within the school.

Developing a Culture of Upstanding Behaviour

SUP's upstander training for students is based on the very well-known Four D approach—Direct, Delay, Delegate, and Distract. This approach equips students with a number of different techniques to employ depending on their level of comfort, the situation, and their place within the group.

This method empowers young people to behave in a safe and comfortable manner. They become capable of identifying risky behaviour, intervening sensibly, and helping those affected. Over time, SUP's upstander training for students creates a more welcoming and connected school community where risky behaviours are less likely to be observed—and addressed sooner and more effectively when they are.

Broader Impact on School Communities

The Stand-Up Project's good impact does not stop with student leaders. SUP engages the entire school community—teachers, staff, and families—in the work. When the students take hold of change and the wider community supports them, school-wide transformation is possible.

This is the way SUP renders the community more resilient and better connected:

Staff Development
SUP provides sessions and resources that support teachers in extending Upstander values into every aspect of teaching.

Family Engagement
Through co-presenting and dialogue, parents are invited to participate, introducing positive behaviours into the home environment.

Sustained Change
SUP's follow-up resources and support materials are designed to maintain momentum. Ongoing touchpoints help schools monitor progress, reinforce learning, and address developing challenges.

Long-Term Student Benefits

Students who participate in SUP student leadership training learn beyond school-focused skills. They develop life skills that bring them to adulthood and working careers:

Increased Communication
Leaders learn to speak with purpose and clarity to peers, staff, and families.

Empowered Decision-Making
The training supports independent judgement and critical thinking.

Empathy and Emotional Intelligence

By stepping into others' shoes and taking constructive action, students become more emotionally intelligent and socially responsible.

Resilience and Confidence
Students leave the program feeling empowered to stand up for themselves and others in any situation.

The Stand-Up Project transforms students into confident, compassionate leaders who are ready to lead real change. With a foundation in upstander training for students and a strong focus on student leadership training, SUP is building the next generation of inclusive, empathetic changemakers—one school at a time.