YANA (You Are Not Alone) Vee Team Connect

YANA is a nonprofit program that was created by the Canadian online content creator Jessii Vee, who is using it as an opportunity to give back to the community. Spreading kindness, stopping bullying, discouraging hate, and creating safe spaces for children at school are just a few of the goals of the YANA (You Are Not Alone) program. This movement focuses on inclusivity and reaching out to those who feel alone.

Click here to see Jessii talk about YANA in the press

Since the group should be mainly led by students themselves, advisors’ commitment times are flexible and should be there just to assure the students that school is supporting them if they do need help to meet their goals in a safe productive manner. We have seen some YANA groups in schools meet once a week and some meet daily. It is really up to each group/school as to how much time is needed.

A school official is needed to support students and ensure their goals are achieved in a safe productive manner. In addition to that, advisors will need to make sure the group members meet the requirements. (Please read below for more details)
*Please note: We have added an optional but highly recommended to fill out section in the application form for a Student Team Leader. This student will be the primary YANA contact when the assigned school official is busy or otherwise unavailable. Our hope for this change is to increase communication and collaboration with all of our YANA groups while decreasing the workload for school staff.

Since this group will be run by students, we advise that these students need to be positive people who are willing to include and help their peers. For example, a student with a history of bullying should not be leading a YANA group. These students should have positive impacts on one another and work together to achieve their goals. Hence, the supervisors should be very specific in whom they choose as a member of this group. Audition is not required.

The Vee Team Connect created YANA to make sure all students feel included at school. When you are officially registered with Jessii Vee's YANA group, we will be sending out a YANA package for your members that include things like pens, bracelets, posters etc. When your school has received the packages, Jessii Vee will give your school a shoutout in one of her videos. Officially registering with us will include your school into an entry for Jessii to visiting your school in person or zoom. Your organization would not need to pay us any compensations, as we are just trying to motivate students to be more inclusive at school. We just want to give back to the community. Having a family friendly content creator speak about all of these important topics can really persuade students into sharing positivity with others. Her "Important lessons series" on YouTube has been shown in schools around the world for education purposes.

The application form can be downloaded from here: https://jessiivee.com/pages/yana
OR
Feel free to reach us through email: yana@jessiivee.com

• Put up inspiring quotes on classroom walls and hallways
• Make “goodie bags” for teachers and other students
• Team up with teachers from other departments
o e.i. History: Learn about Inclusivity
o e.i. Art: Create YANA t-shirts or accessories. Make own positive posters
• Make a conscious effort to give out compliments
• Write and send out kind messages to others
• Talk to a peer that needs a friend
• YANA group members can walk up to students who were sitting alone during lunch/break time. This way, they are less likely to be targeted by bullies, as they have a safe space to go to.
• Help out in the community
• Bring awareness to your school community about any injustice in your school, such as bullying, cyber-bullying, racism or hate of any kind
• So many more….contact us at yana@jessiivee.com for more ideas