♪♪
-We've achieved a
lot in Rainier Beach.
-Inside our schools
and on our streets.
♪♪
-We're preventing crime.
-And we're restoring...peace.
♪♪
(school bell rings)
(♪) Once upon a time (♪)
(♪) in a nursery rhyme, there were three bears. (♪)
(♪) How many? Three bears. (♪♪)
-I am Miss Metz.
I am a teacher, a lover of books and a cat mommy.
(chidren laugh)
When I first started, it was more
old school being hard nosed and that kind of thing.
Go ahead and make your talking circle.
PBIS is positive behavior intervention support.
What is one thing I like about myself?
You look for the positive and you reward the positive.
It starts with the teacher-child relationship
and then it works
towards the children relating to each other
and creating that trust.
Should we do a friendship squeeze?
(children in unison) Yeah!
-It's them knowing that there's someone there to ensure
that they're going to have stability in their life.
(children cheering)
It's opened
my eyes to being kind and treating them
with positive reinforcement, a positive attitude.
Nice.
And that can't hurt anybody.
I love it.
Beautiful job.
♪♪
-PBIS is an opportunity
to demonstrate to our community expectations.
-My name's Stew. -Oh, yeah? -Yeah.
-Leon, good to meet you. -Nice to meet you.
-We're really trying to amplify this.
These community values of safety, respect
and responsibility.
The idea is what's being taught in
schools is getting reinforced everywhere.
-Three maple bars.
-We are in the community people know who we are.
Look, they got our flier up.
We're being intentional in making relationships
and getting to know people by name.
-I feel comfortable to see them like friend.
Anything else for you today?
-Nope that's it.
-We're trying to build the power
of the community voice here in the South End,
you know, a neighborhood that's been disadvantaged
as long as Seattle's been a place.
-PBIS has helped helped us to connect the community.
When we are doing the healing spaces,
you see people coming together.
-My legacy is to make change.
-Our community healing space activation
was in response to a number of violent incidents
that occurred in our neighborhood,
particularly two young men
that died in the Safeway parking lot.
And so we thought about what does it feel like
to be in a space of healing?
-Giving somebody grace can change their life.
-And so instead of us
criminalizing people in the parking lot,
which is a lot of what's been happening, right?
What we're doing is we are embracing our community.
We're loving on our community.
You're welcome.
Safeway reported out that there were 12 incidents,
shots fired in a Safeway parking lot in 2020, and in 2021,
since we've been in that
space, January 29th, there's been zero incidents.
-I do what I do because I used to be that kid.
I used to be the kid who was getting kicked out.
I used to be the kid who didn't feel valued or worthy.
We're focusing on these kids and we're helping them
heal, helping them grow.
And so I think that that's going to be
what's going to be beneficial
for our society, our world, our community
in the days to come.
Because when we're healing our youth,
then they know how to do that on their own.
-All right.
Here we go! Here we go, here we go.
-Safe Passage is an organization
that focuses on the South Seattle community
and trying to reach the youth
and trying to turn them before they reach a light
they don't want to be a part of.
We had a situation at the store earlier.
Somebody was trying to take something.
The team comes to Rainier Beach,
and from there
they just patrol the neighborhoods
and make sure that everything is staying safe.
Here, let's get them some food.
Get them something to drink. Get them some water.
Get them to calm down.
And as we meet the kids and
the community, adults included,
we just try to treat them like family,
let them know that they're loved.
Come on out -- eat.
Sometimes we'll go into our own pockets
and feed'm and just spreading love.
I love this community.
I feel like it takes a village
and I'm just going
to do my part.
-We've made some
big changes in Rainier Beach.
-But we're not going to stop the work we're doing.
-Because when you make a circle,
you make a line that doesn't end.
-You create an opportunity
for a new beginning.
♪♪