Hot Spot Mapping is a student-driven program which asks students to identify places where and people with whom students feel most safe. As one of the first organizations piloting this initiative in Colorado, we have been able to develop innovative and interactive ways to include students in this important work and have received highly positive feedback from our partner school. Hot spot mapping has significant potential to help schools and other community organizations not only identify areas for improvement related to safety and culture, but also center the community in creating solutions.
Hot Spot Mapping is based in the principles of Positive Youth Development.1 We engage a core group of students within the school to facilitate the hot spot mapping activity, analyze the data, and present the findings to staff in order to brainstorm solutions together