Constantine Kaminski has experienced bullying at school. When he was in second grade, it got so bad his mom noticed the difference in his attitude and, worried about a lack of understanding from his teachers, decided to pull him from his school.

That’s how the 12-year-old who just finished sixth grade at his new school, Phalen Leadership Academy at George H. Fisher School 93, knew when to speak up on behalf of another student he worried about. But sharing a concern face-to-face with an adult can sometimes be scary, Constantine told Mirror Indy. And he’d been bullied before for speaking up at school, his mom said. That’s why Constantine prefers technology.

Using the Fight for Life Foundation’s online behavioral health platform, the pre-teen brought his concerns to teachers not once but twice. He let them know about his worries for his classmate’s mental health and, on a separate occasion, alerted them to a student whose behavior in class distracted others who were trying to learn.

“I encourage every other kid to use it,” Constantine said about the platform, called Building Dreams. “It’s really helpful.”

Constantine was recognized June 21 for speaking up on behalf of his classmates during the Fight for Life Foundation’s Building Dreams Champions Breakfast. His actions are the type of initiative leaders with the Indianapolis nonprofit say they hope their platform can inspire among students across Indianapolis.

“One of the many things we’re proud of is the way Building Dreams is able to give students a voice,” Anna Sutter, a Fight for Life director, said during the program that morning. “It gives them the opportunity to self-reflect, plan, share and more, including expressing concern for others.”

What is Building Dreams?

Former Indianapolis Colts cornerback Marlin Jackson started the Fight for Life Foundation more than 16 years ago with a goal to help underserved youth in the city learn about cooperation, empathy and conflict resolution.

The foundation has since channeled these lessons into the online learning platform students can use to communicate their emotions to teachers. The Building Dreams platform uses a football-inspired incentive program to reward students for positive behaviors — called first downs — and allow them to throw flags when they see something that concerns them.

The Fight for Life Foundation partners with Indianapolis schools and youth organizations serving more than 6,000 students predominantly in the elementary and middle grades, setting the bar early for positive behavior.

Building Dreams allows educators to collect data about what types of support students respond to best. Some schools also use it to track student attendance — a major concern for many after absenteeism rates spiked during the coronavirus pandemic.

The platform incorporates daily check-ins. The comment feature allows students to share what’s on their mind with teachers without having to retell what can be a very personal story to several adults throughout the school building. For Constantine, that also brought safekeeping and trust, knowing that his concern could be kept between him and his teacher.

“That’s why Fight for Life is such a good thing for him,” his mom, Stephanie Kaminski, said. “It makes it so that he’s able to keep peace with everybody.”

Teachers use feedback to make changes

Constantine said he uses the platform to communicate his own feelings to teachers, too. If he comes in distracted or tired one day, he can let them know at morning check-in. He said his teacher used this feedback one day to change up plans and offer an interactive, Jeopardy-style class activity that morning instead of her typical lesson.

“I wasn’t bored anymore,” Constantine said, adding, “We had to get the most points on the board, and we won!”

Stephanie said she’d never heard of Fight for Life before enrolling her son at the Phalen Leadership Academy school, but it was what she was looking for to reinforce the lessons she teaches at home. She only found out about her son’s intervention on behalf of his classmates when they both learned he would be recognized at the Champions Breakfast.

“I’m proud of him,” Kaminski said. “I’m just really happy to know that he listens to my lectures because I truly lecture that boy. … I just have so many things that I don’t want to see happen to him, and I want to make sure that he’s safe.”

She says social media is a big concern as her son graduates from his K-6 grade school into a new school for seventh grade. Constantine, who was on his school’s student council, said he’s looking forward to cross country practices at his new school and maybe even tennis.

While the school doesn’t use the Building Dreams platform, Stephanie Kaminski said she’s confident her son’s experiences at home, in church and with the Fight for Life Foundation have provided him the skills he needs to be successful.

“He is charismatic, he is outgoing, he is a leader,” she said. “I’m hoping that he feels that there is going to be a way in his next school to show concern for how students are being treated.”

Get involved with Fight for Life

The Fight for Life Foundation offers free information sessions and demonstrations of its platforms. Interested partners can learn more by visiting the foundation’s website.

The foundation also encourages people to connect through social media and through the nonprofit’s biweekly newsletter. Email marlinjackson@fightforlife.org to sign up for the newsletter.

And volunteer opportunities are available. Learn more on the Fight for Life Foundation website.  

Mirror Indy reporter Carley Lanich covers early childhood and K-12 education. Contact her at carley.lanich@mirrorindy.org or follow her on X @carleylanich.