Seventh graders at Arvada Middle School huddled together at tables in the library, debating over questions handwritten on slips of paper before them.
“Every time I hang out with my two friends, they want to smoke but I don’t want to. What do I do?” read one student after pulling a slip from a bowl in the middle of the table.
The question was one of many student-written conflicts seventh-graders debated with Arvada’s Sunrise Rotary Club during a Thursday, May 15 workshop. Rotarians visited the school to teach problem-solving and ethics using the Rotary Club’s Four Way Test.
The Four Way Test is a device used to navigate tough problems in life such as school bullying, drugs, or peer pressure.
The test asks four questions: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all? Will it build good will and better friendships? Is it beneficial to all?
The Rotary Club plans to continue traveling to schools to teach the Four Way Test in hopes that more kids will think carefully through life’s everyday problems, said Rotarian Andy Goldberg.
“We get into discussions that get really deep. We thought kids would write questions like ‘I stole a candy bar.’ Instead, we got questions about getting abused at home,” Goldberg said.
Students break into small groups to write problems on slips of paper, then pick questions randomly to discuss with the whole group.
The discussion groups are meant to be confidential and non-judgemental so students can open up about what might be bothering them, Goldberg said.
“These kids are going through far more than we can imagine,” he said. “Most kids get into (the program) and get something out of it.”
Seventh-grader Brisa Banuelos said the program helped her put some of her conflicts into perspective.
“When something’s wrong, stop and think about it, don’t do anything random. Just think about it for two seconds,” she said.
Banuelos and other students discussed conflicts such as what to do when a friend makes fun of another friend’s clothes or what to do if a student knew their classmate brought a gun to school or was secretly pregnant.
Students considered each question by asking themselves the four questions. Rotarians were on hand to help guide the conversation and pass out “Got Ethics?” t-shirts.
Some students admitted solutions weren’t always easy. One group that discussed a friend who did drugs said telling an adult was the right thing to do, but the result might not build better friendships.
“You might lose a friend, but the result of not doing drugs would be better for the individual and all,” one student said.
Talking with parents, friends and teachers were common solutions to problems, even though students acknowledged their friends would most likely be upset.
Goldberg said area high schools have expressed interest in taking part in the program. The Rotary Club is open to the idea, but the group currently offers the program only for middle school students.
“I’m not sure what to expect with high schoolers,” Golderg said.
Lysandra Rosales said she came away from the workshop feeling more confident about ways to solve problems.
“You got to talk to other people and see problems that other people have,” she said. “You learn that if you think before you act, things might turn out better for you and your friends.”
What is the Rotary Club’s Four-Way Test?
The Four Way Test is a device used to navigate tough problems in life such as school bullying, drugs, or peer pressure. The test asks four questions: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all? Will it build good will and better friendships? Is it beneficial to all?