Ages 5-11 · Book 2, Belonging · 4,299 places
Buddy Bench Program
A bench works when a school has practised the twenty seconds after somebody sits on it. Without that it is furniture.
Built on Ellis Abel and the Scary Playground — “Being brave means showing up anyway.” A character series, not a curriculum with a worldview attached.
The five sessions
- Session 1
Map the room: who is alone, and where does it happen
- Session 2
Read the story and name what would have helped him
- Session 3
Assign the pairing, and keep it for more than one day
- Session 4
Run the week, and let the new child steer what happens next
- Session 5
Ask the new child, not the volunteers, whether it worked
Questions leaders ask
Is buddy bench program in your area a religious program?
No. Ellis Abel is a character series. Each volume carries one named core value — this one is belonging — and the story does the teaching. There is no doctrine in it, nothing to opt out of, and it is used in public schools, libraries and secular programs as readily as anywhere else.
What ages does this work for?
Ages 5-11. The story is read aloud, so a child who cannot read yet is fully in it, and the discussion prompts are written in two bands so one adult can hold a mixed-age room.
How long does a session take in a your area classroom?
Twenty to thirty minutes, structured as read-aloud, small group, and one step each child names out loud before they leave the room.
Does this need a specialist to deliver?
No. It is written for the classroom teacher, the counselor, or whoever has the room that period. The leader script carries the questions and the follow-ups.
The rules that make it work
It is a character story, not a social skills assessment
No child is scored, graded or sorted into a social tier. The room gets shared language and a move to practise, and nothing about a child is recorded.
Never make the left-out child the project
A program that visibly organises itself around one child has told the whole room who that child is. Everything here is run for everyone.
One person, not the whole group
Joining a group is the hardest version of the task and the one children are always told to do. One person, chosen beforehand, is the version that works.
Difference is the asset, said plainly
Not "everyone is special", which children correctly hear as nothing. The specific thing that makes this child the odd one out is named, and then used.
Adults go first
An adult describing their own time at the fence gives permission that no amount of encouragement does.
Ask the new child whether it worked
Not the volunteers, not the popular children, not the staff. The person who was alone is the only reliable measure of whether a belonging program works.
Buddy Bench by metro area
Northeast
- Buddy Bench — New York, NY
- Buddy Bench — Philadelphia, PA
- Buddy Bench — Boston, MA
- Buddy Bench — Pittsburgh, PA
- Buddy Bench — Providence, RI
- Buddy Bench — Hartford, CT
- Buddy Bench — Buffalo, NY
- Buddy Bench — Rochester, NY
- Buddy Bench — Bridgeport, CT
- Buddy Bench — Albany, NY
- Buddy Bench — Worcester, MA
- Buddy Bench — Allentown, PA
- Buddy Bench — Poughkeepsie metro area, NY
- Buddy Bench — Syracuse, NY
- Buddy Bench — Harrisburg, PA
- Buddy Bench — New Haven, CT
- Buddy Bench — Portland, ME
- Buddy Bench — Scranton, PA
- Buddy Bench — Lancaster, PA
- Buddy Bench — York, PA
- Buddy Bench — Springfield, MA
- Buddy Bench — Waterbury, CT
- Buddy Bench — Reading, PA
- Buddy Bench — Manchester, NH
- Buddy Bench — Trenton, NJ
- Buddy Bench — Atlantic City, NJ
- Buddy Bench — Utica, NY
- Buddy Bench — Norwich, CT
- Buddy Bench — Erie, PA
- Buddy Bench — Binghamton, NY
- Buddy Bench — Barnstable, MA
- Buddy Bench — Burlington, VT
- Buddy Bench — Kingston, NY
- Buddy Bench — Amherst, MA
- Buddy Bench — Chambersburg, PA
- Buddy Bench — Bangor, ME
- Buddy Bench — State College, PA
- Buddy Bench — Vineland, NJ
- Buddy Bench — Lebanon, PA
- Buddy Bench — Johnstown, PA
- Buddy Bench — Pittsfield, MA
- Buddy Bench — Glens Falls, NY
- Buddy Bench — Altoona, PA
- Buddy Bench — Lewiston, ME
- Buddy Bench — Williamsport, PA
- Buddy Bench — Watertown, NY
- Buddy Bench — Gettysburg, PA
- Buddy Bench — Ithaca, NY
- Buddy Bench — Elmira, NY
Midwest
- Buddy Bench — Chicago, IL
- Buddy Bench — Detroit, MI
- Buddy Bench — Minneapolis, MN
- Buddy Bench — St. Louis, MO
- Buddy Bench — Cincinnati, OH
- Buddy Bench — Kansas City, MO
- Buddy Bench — Columbus, OH
- Buddy Bench — Indianapolis, IN
- Buddy Bench — Cleveland, OH
- Buddy Bench — Milwaukee, WI
- Buddy Bench — Grand Rapids, MI
- Buddy Bench — Omaha, NE
- Buddy Bench — Dayton, OH
- Buddy Bench — Des Moines, IA
- Buddy Bench — Madison, WI
- Buddy Bench — Akron, OH
- Buddy Bench — Wichita, KS
- Buddy Bench — Toledo, OH
- Buddy Bench — Springfield, MO
- Buddy Bench — Lansing, MI
- Buddy Bench — Fort Wayne, IN
- Buddy Bench — Youngstown, OH
- Buddy Bench — Flint, MI
- Buddy Bench — Canton, OH
- Buddy Bench — Davenport, IA
- Buddy Bench — Ann Arbor, MI
- Buddy Bench — Peoria, IL
- Buddy Bench — Lincoln, NE
- Buddy Bench — Rockford, IL
- Buddy Bench — Green Bay, WI
- Buddy Bench — South Bend, IN
- Buddy Bench — Sioux Falls, SD
- Buddy Bench — Duluth, MN
- Buddy Bench — Cedar Rapids, IA
- Buddy Bench — Evansville, IN
- Buddy Bench — Fargo, ND
- Buddy Bench — Kalamazoo, MI
- Buddy Bench — Appleton, WI
- Buddy Bench — Champaign, IL
- Buddy Bench — Topeka, KS
- Buddy Bench — Rochester, MN
- Buddy Bench — Lafayette, IN
- Buddy Bench — Columbia, MO
- Buddy Bench — Joplin, MO
- Buddy Bench — Elkhart, IN
- Buddy Bench — Springfield, IL
- Buddy Bench — St. Cloud, MN
- Buddy Bench — Racine, WI
- Buddy Bench — Saginaw, MI
- Buddy Bench — Iowa City, IA
- Buddy Bench — Muskegon, MI
- Buddy Bench — Eau Claire, WI
- Buddy Bench — Oshkosh, WI
- Buddy Bench — Bloomington, IL
- Buddy Bench — La Crosse, WI
- Buddy Bench — Terre Haute, IN
- Buddy Bench — Waterloo, IA
- Buddy Bench — Kenosha, WI
- Buddy Bench — Janesville, WI
- Buddy Bench — Bloomington, IN
- Buddy Bench — Jackson, MI
- Buddy Bench — Traverse City, MI
- Buddy Bench — Rapid City, SD
- Buddy Bench — Monroe, MI
- Buddy Bench — Jefferson City, MO
- Buddy Bench — Niles, MI
- Buddy Bench — Sioux City, IA
- Buddy Bench — Bismarck, ND
- Buddy Bench — Wausau, WI
- Buddy Bench — Manhattan, KS
- Buddy Bench — Springfield, OH
- Buddy Bench — Battle Creek, MI
- Buddy Bench — Ames, IA
- Buddy Bench — Mansfield, OH
- Buddy Bench — Lawrence, KS
- Buddy Bench — St. Joseph, MO
- Buddy Bench — Sheboygan, WI
- Buddy Bench — Muncie, IN
- Buddy Bench — Sandusky, OH
- Buddy Bench — Michigan City, IN
- Buddy Bench — Kankakee, IL
- Buddy Bench — Grand Forks, ND
- Buddy Bench — Mankato, MN
- Buddy Bench — Fond du Lac, WI
- Buddy Bench — Bay City, MI
- Buddy Bench — Lima, OH
- Buddy Bench — Dubuque, IA
- Buddy Bench — Decatur, IL
- Buddy Bench — Cape Girardeau, MO
- Buddy Bench — Columbus, IN
- Buddy Bench — Kokomo, IN
- Buddy Bench — Midland, MI
- Buddy Bench — Grand Island, NE
- Buddy Bench — Minot, ND
South
- Buddy Bench — Dallas, TX
- Buddy Bench — Houston, TX
- Buddy Bench — Atlanta, GA
- Buddy Bench — Washington, DC
- Buddy Bench — Miami, FL
- Buddy Bench — Tampa, FL
- Buddy Bench — Orlando, FL
- Buddy Bench — Charlotte, NC
- Buddy Bench — Baltimore, MD
- Buddy Bench — San Antonio, TX
- Buddy Bench — Austin, TX
- Buddy Bench — Nashville, TN
- Buddy Bench — Virginia Beach, VA
- Buddy Bench — Jacksonville, FL
- Buddy Bench — Raleigh, NC
- Buddy Bench — Oklahoma City, OK
- Buddy Bench — Louisville, KY
- Buddy Bench — Richmond, VA
- Buddy Bench — Memphis, TN
- Buddy Bench — Birmingham, AL
- Buddy Bench — Tulsa, OK
- Buddy Bench — Greenville, SC
- Buddy Bench — New Orleans, LA
- Buddy Bench — Knoxville, TN
- Buddy Bench — Sarasota metro area, FL
- Buddy Bench — McAllen, TX
- Buddy Bench — Charleston, SC
- Buddy Bench — Baton Rouge, LA
- Buddy Bench — El Paso, TX
- Buddy Bench — Columbia, SC
- Buddy Bench — Cape Coral, FL
- Buddy Bench — Lakeland, FL
- Buddy Bench — Greensboro, NC
- Buddy Bench — Little Rock, AR
- Buddy Bench — Deltona, FL
- Buddy Bench — Winston-Salem, NC
- Buddy Bench — Palm Bay, FL
- Buddy Bench — Augusta, GA
- Buddy Bench — Durham, NC
- Buddy Bench — Fayetteville, AR
- Buddy Bench — Jackson, MS
- Buddy Bench — Chattanooga, TN
- Buddy Bench — Port St. Lucie, FL
- Buddy Bench — Huntsville, AL
- Buddy Bench — Pensacola, FL
- Buddy Bench — Lexington, KY
- Buddy Bench — Killeen, TX
- Buddy Bench — Wilmington, NC
- Buddy Bench — Corpus Christi, TX
- Buddy Bench — Ocala, FL
- Buddy Bench — Savannah, GA
- Buddy Bench — Brownsville, TX
- Buddy Bench — Gulfport, MS
- Buddy Bench — Myrtle Beach, SC
- Buddy Bench — Lafayette, LA
- Buddy Bench — Asheville, NC
- Buddy Bench — Naples, FL
- Buddy Bench — Mobile, AL
- Buddy Bench — Spartanburg, SC
- Buddy Bench — Beaumont, TX
- Buddy Bench — Tallahassee, FL
- Buddy Bench — Fayetteville, NC
- Buddy Bench — Montgomery, AL
- Buddy Bench — Shreveport, LA
- Buddy Bench — Hickory, NC
- Buddy Bench — Lubbock, TX
- Buddy Bench — Huntington, WV
- Buddy Bench — Gainesville, FL
- Buddy Bench — Clarksville, TN
- Buddy Bench — Columbus, GA
- Buddy Bench — Roanoke, VA
- Buddy Bench — Hagerstown, MD
- Buddy Bench — Fort Walton Beach metro area, FL
- Buddy Bench — Kingsport, TN
- Buddy Bench — Waco, TX
- Buddy Bench — Longview, TX
- Buddy Bench — College Station, TX
- Buddy Bench — Tuscaloosa, AL
- Buddy Bench — Laredo, TX
- Buddy Bench — Slidell, LA
- Buddy Bench — Amarillo, TX
- Buddy Bench — Lynchburg, VA
- Buddy Bench — Daphne, AL
- Buddy Bench — Tyler, TX
- Buddy Bench — Lake Charles, LA
- Buddy Bench — Hilton Head Island, SC
- Buddy Bench — Macon, GA
- Buddy Bench — Fort Smith, AR
- Buddy Bench — Panama City, FL
- Buddy Bench — Charlottesville, VA
- Buddy Bench — Gainesville, GA
- Buddy Bench — Athens, GA
- Buddy Bench — Monroe, LA
- Buddy Bench — Punta Gorda, FL
- Buddy Bench — Jacksonville, NC
- Buddy Bench — Johnson City, TN
- Buddy Bench — Lexington Park, MD
- Buddy Bench — Warner Robins, GA
- Buddy Bench — Auburn, AL
- Buddy Bench — Florence, SC
- Buddy Bench — Charleston, WV
- Buddy Bench — Houma, LA
- Buddy Bench — Bowling Green, KY
- Buddy Bench — Dover, DE
- Buddy Bench — Midland, TX
- Buddy Bench — Burlington, NC
- Buddy Bench — Abilene, TX
- Buddy Bench — Jackson, TN
- Buddy Bench — Greenville, NC
- Buddy Bench — Blacksburg, VA
- Buddy Bench — Odessa, TX
- Buddy Bench — Vero Beach metro area, FL
- Buddy Bench — Homosassa Springs, FL
- Buddy Bench — Decatur, AL
- Buddy Bench — Hattiesburg, MS
- Buddy Bench — The Villages metro area, FL
- Buddy Bench — Florence, AL
- Buddy Bench — Dothan, AL
- Buddy Bench — Sherman, TX
- Buddy Bench — Valdosta, GA
- Buddy Bench — Winchester, VA
- Buddy Bench — Wichita Falls, TX
- Buddy Bench — Rocky Mount, NC
- Buddy Bench — Alexandria, LA
- Buddy Bench — Dalton, GA
- Buddy Bench — Texarkana, TX
- Buddy Bench — Albany, GA
- Buddy Bench — Morgantown, WV
- Buddy Bench — Hammond, LA
- Buddy Bench — Harrisonburg, VA
- Buddy Bench — Jonesboro, AR
- Buddy Bench — Wheeling, WV
- Buddy Bench — Cleveland, TN
- Buddy Bench — Salisbury, MD
- Buddy Bench — Staunton, VA
- Buddy Bench — Morristown, TN
- Buddy Bench — Elizabethtown, KY
- Buddy Bench — Lawton, OK
- Buddy Bench — Goldsboro, NC
- Buddy Bench — San Angelo, TX
- Buddy Bench — Brunswick, GA
- Buddy Bench — Anniston, AL
- Buddy Bench — Owensboro, KY
- Buddy Bench — Steubenville, WV
- Buddy Bench — Sebring, FL
- Buddy Bench — Pinehurst, NC
- Buddy Bench — Beckley, WV
- Buddy Bench — Sumter, SC
- Buddy Bench — Gadsden, AL
- Buddy Bench — Paducah, KY
- Buddy Bench — Rome, GA
- Buddy Bench — Victoria, TX
- Buddy Bench — Hot Springs, AR
- Buddy Bench — Hinesville, GA
- Buddy Bench — Parkersburg, WV
- Buddy Bench — Enid, OK
- Buddy Bench — Eagle Pass, TX
West
- Buddy Bench — Los Angeles, CA
- Buddy Bench — Phoenix, AZ
- Buddy Bench — Riverside, CA
- Buddy Bench — San Francisco, CA
- Buddy Bench — Seattle, WA
- Buddy Bench — San Diego, CA
- Buddy Bench — Denver, CO
- Buddy Bench — Portland, OR
- Buddy Bench — Sacramento, CA
- Buddy Bench — Las Vegas, NV
- Buddy Bench — San Jose, CA
- Buddy Bench — Salt Lake City, UT
- Buddy Bench — Fresno, CA
- Buddy Bench — Tucson, AZ
- Buddy Bench — Honolulu, HI
- Buddy Bench — Bakersfield, CA
- Buddy Bench — Albuquerque, NM
- Buddy Bench — Boise, ID
- Buddy Bench — Oxnard, CA
- Buddy Bench — Stockton, CA
- Buddy Bench — Colorado Springs, CO
- Buddy Bench — Provo, UT
- Buddy Bench — Ogden, UT
- Buddy Bench — Spokane, WA
- Buddy Bench — Reno, NV
- Buddy Bench — Modesto, CA
- Buddy Bench — Santa Rosa, CA
- Buddy Bench — Visalia, CA
- Buddy Bench — Vallejo, CA
- Buddy Bench — Salem, OR
- Buddy Bench — Santa Maria, CA
- Buddy Bench — Salinas, CA
- Buddy Bench — Anchorage, AK
- Buddy Bench — Eugene, OR
- Buddy Bench — Greeley, CO
- Buddy Bench — Fort Collins, CO
- Buddy Bench — Boulder, CO
- Buddy Bench — Kennewick, WA
- Buddy Bench — Olympia, WA
- Buddy Bench — Merced, CA
- Buddy Bench — Bremerton, WA
- Buddy Bench — San Luis Obispo, CA
- Buddy Bench — Bend, OR
- Buddy Bench — Yakima, WA
- Buddy Bench — Santa Cruz, CA
- Buddy Bench — Prescott metro area, AZ
- Buddy Bench — Bellingham, WA
- Buddy Bench — Las Cruces, NM
- Buddy Bench — Lake Havasu City, AZ
- Buddy Bench — Yuma, AZ
- Buddy Bench — Medford, OR
- Buddy Bench — St. George, UT
- Buddy Bench — Chico, CA
- Buddy Bench — Billings, MT
- Buddy Bench — Coeur d'Alene, ID
- Buddy Bench — Yuba City, CA
- Buddy Bench — Redding, CA
- Buddy Bench — El Centro, CA
- Buddy Bench — Idaho Falls, ID
- Buddy Bench — Pueblo, CO
- Buddy Bench — Grand Junction, CO
- Buddy Bench — Logan, UT
- Buddy Bench — Maui, HI
- Buddy Bench — Santa Fe, NM
- Buddy Bench — Hanford, CA
- Buddy Bench — Flagstaff, AZ
- Buddy Bench — Mount Vernon, WA
- Buddy Bench — Napa, CA
- Buddy Bench — Albany, OR
- Buddy Bench — Bozeman, MT
- Buddy Bench — Missoula, MT
- Buddy Bench — Wenatchee, WA
- Buddy Bench — Sierra Vista, AZ
- Buddy Bench — Twin Falls, ID
- Buddy Bench — Farmington, NM
- Buddy Bench — Longview, WA
- Buddy Bench — Cheyenne, WY
- Buddy Bench — Corvallis, OR
- Buddy Bench — Helena, MT
- Buddy Bench — Fairbanks, AK
- Buddy Bench — Pocatello, ID
- Buddy Bench — Grants Pass, OR
- Buddy Bench — Great Falls, MT
- Buddy Bench — Casper, WY
- Buddy Bench — Lewiston, ID
- Buddy Bench — Walla Walla, WA
- Buddy Bench — Carson City, NV
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