KIDS ARE WAITING TO MEET THEIR AMBASSADOR
Ambassadors for Respect — Minnesota's Bullying Prevention Program for 4th Grade Classrooms
Every 4th grade classroom has a kid who hides something — a leg brace, a diagnosis, a difference nobody's taught them how to talk about — and classmates who might not yet have the words or confidence to connect.
Since 2013, Ambassadors for Respect has been Minnesota's award-winning bullying prevention program for 4th-grade classrooms — bringing in adults with developmental disabilities to teach inclusion, Person-First Language, and self-advocacy.
"I absolutely want to be an ambassador again next year… I'll be waiting for the call."— Ambassador, A4R Program
26%
of Minnesota 5th graders say they're bullied every week — and 1 in 4 say they rarely or sometimes resolve conflicts without anyone getting hurt.
Minnesota Student Survey, 2025
Nationally, bullying climbs through late elementary and peaks in middle school — fourth grade is the last stretch where it's still easy to reach every kid in one room.
Stan Davis, Schools Where Everyone Belongs
An Ambassador isn't there to fix every conflict in the room. They're there so that twenty-five kids watch someone stand up for themselves — and start doing it too.
3,949
fourth graders trained
51
elementary schools
126
fourth-grade classrooms
Numbers reflect the 2025–26 academic year.
SEE WHAT A PRESENTATION LOOKS LIKE
Remember the child from the intro of this page — the one hiding something? Here's what it sounds like six years later, once that kid is the one teaching the lesson.
"When I was a 4th grader, I would hide my leg brace. But when I went back to the schools as an Ambassador, I was willing to show the support I needed and show off who I am. One boy even complimented me on it!”
— Ambassador, A4R Program
WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?
Ambassadors, schools, and partner organizations each need something different. Here's what.
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For Ambassadors
You've spent a lifetime being underestimated. Here, twenty-five nine-year-olds hang on your every word.
Ambassadors for Respect pays adults with developmental disabilities to walk into a 4th-grade classroom as the expert. Not a volunteer shift — a paycheck, a skill, and a room of kids who'll remember you.
A paycheck for the work you do
Real self-advocacy and independent living skills
Employment experience that builds your resume with presentation and leadership skills
A sense of purpose
98% of Ambassadors say their self-advocacy skills grew this year.
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For Schools & Teachers
Your classroom is one lesson away from including every kid.
You've seen it during partner work — the pause before nobody picks a certain kid, the way certain students always get separated from the group. You don't have time to build a bullying-prevention curriculum from scratch. Ambassadors for Respect sends a trained team into your classroom for one guided session on inclusion, Person-First Language, and self-advocacy — then leaves you a Teacher Resource Guide so the lesson doesn't end when they walk out the door.
A ready-to-run bullying prevention curriculum, taught for you
A Teacher Resource Guide to keep it going after training
Clear objectives: students list 3 ways to include others, use Person-First Language, and list 3 ways to advocate for others
Real classroom community-building, not a one-off presentation
100% of teachers who completed our post-training survey want an A4R training for next year's class.
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For Program Partners
Every opportunity you find promises "meaningful work." This one actually pays.
You've had the conversation before — telling a client the "opportunity" you found is unpaid, or filing paperwork, or two hours a week stuffing envelopes. Transition Programs and Community-Based Organizations spend years looking for paid, dignified work for the people they serve. Ambassadors for Respect is a built partnership — a training handbook, a growing list of Minnesota schools ready to host, and a role your participants lead instead of just attend.
An illustrated A4R Coaching Handbook covering every step
A partnership between PeaceMaker MN, the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities, and a growing network of Partner Organizations like yours
Promotion of your organization's work on our site, social, and newsletter
Real progress toward the goals you already have for your participants
Partner Programs now span across Minnesota.
AMBASSADORS GROWING EVERY YEAR
A role more people are choosing to take on
"My ambassadors have cultivated perseverance, which allows them to overcome challenges and maintain their commitment to their roles. They've also honed their public speaking skills, enabling them to communicate effectively and confidently in various situations. Additionally, they stand up for those around them, advocating for fairness and support within our community."
HOW IT WORKS
How a classroom visit comes together — and what it teaches
01
Coach
Program Partner Organizations recruit and coach adults with developmental disabilities as Ambassadors using PeaceMaker's illustrated Ambassadors for Respect Handbook.
02
Visit
A trained Ambassador team leads an interactive session with their 4th-grade classroom on inclusion, Person-First Language, and self-advocacy.
03
Continue
We can’t visit the same school twice in one year, but we hope to return every year to train each new group of 4th graders. Between visits, our Teacher Resource Guide gives teachers book ideas, video links, and classroom activities to keep the Ambassadors’ message going long after we’ve left. Next year, a new class means a fresh start, with new Ambassadors, new stories, and the same guide ready to use again.
THE CURRICULUM, IN FOUR PARTS
Inclusion
98% of students trained could list 3 ways to include others.
Self-Advocacy
95% could list 3 ways to advocate for themselves and others.
Person-1st Language
92% learn how to use kind and respectful language
Lived Experience
100% of students saw people with disabilities as leaders in their classroom
WHAT CHANGES AFTER ONE VISIT
Teachers see it. Fourth graders say it.
"The Ambassadors were clear, honest and well prepared — it was amazing! My students found it to be very powerful. The hands-on activity was perfect. The pace of the presentation, with the different movement breaks, really kept the students' attention. Please come back again!" — Teacher, A4R Program
"I love that students with disabilities see others like them as leaders. My class really understood empathy and they really connected with how to be inclusive." — Teacher, A4R Program
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
GET STARTED
Ready to bring Ambassadors for Respect to your classroom — or your organization?
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Bring an Ambassador team to your 4th-grade classroom
Our Ambassador teams come from Partner Programs across Minnesota, so availability depends on whether a team is nearby. See where our teams are, then complete the Elementary School Application, and PeaceMaker will connect you with an Ambassador team for your classroom.
TRANSITION PROGRAMS & ORGS
Coach and pay your participants as Ambassadors
Join a partner network already anchored in communities across Minnesota. Fill out the Partner Program Application to set up an Ambassador team through your agency or program.
Interested in becoming an Ambassador yourself? Ambassadors join through a Program Partner Organization.
Sponsor an Ambassadors for Respect team so we can bring our message of inclusion, kind language, and advocacy to more schools.
PeaceMaker Minnesota's other programs
Ambassadors for Respect is one part of a bigger toolkit — most schools use more than one.
GET INVOLVED
Not sure where to start?
Not sure which application fits, or whether a team is near you? Reach out, and we’ll help. Or fund the work directly: your gift helps pay Ambassadors to teach bullying prevention in 4th-grade classrooms.
Prefer to talk? 651.631.1604
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