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11/02/2017 12:01 AMDid you know that each day thousands of students stay home for fear of being bullied, losing the opportunity to learn and thrive? It is every student’s right to feel safe and be safe in school. In fact, all Connecticut schools are mandated to have a school climate plan in place that provides for a safe and positive learning environment. That’s why several years ago a group of business owners decided to take action.
Working together through the Community Foundation of Middlesex County (CFMC), they established the Council of Business Partners Fund, and with the help of Rushford, a Hartford HealthCare partner, the school-based “No Bully Zone” program was developed for area schools and after-school programs. To date, more than 9500 students, educators, school bus drivers, and parents have participated in No Bully Zone programs and training.
The CFMC Council of Business Partners initiative continues to expand with its Campaign for Bully-Free Communities in partnership with the Connecticut Association of Schools, EMPOWER Leadership Sports, The First Tee of Connecticut, Rushford, iCRV Radio, and sportscaster and former NBA/UConn basketball player Donny Marshall. The campaign’s overall goal is to make every community in Middlesex County a bully-free community, and features an annual rally in October in recognition of National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month. This year, a record-breaking 400-plus students and educators came out to rally for bully-free communities at the EMPOWER Leadership Sports Center in Middletown. In attendance were students in grades 5 to 12 from Region 4 Schools (Chester, Deep River, and Essex), Haddam-Killingworth, East Hampton, Middletown, Cheshire, Glastonbury, Rushford Academy, and Joshua Center’s Shoreline CDT School. Adults from MARC Community Services and VISTA also participated.
The morning program included team-building and self-empowering activities followed by guest speakers and award presentations. Mike Cicarella, a student at Dag Middle School in Wallingford, spoke about how he worked through his mother’s serious illness by initiating a gratitude campaign at his school, and encouraging others to look for the good as a way of dealing with emotional challenges.
The Bully-Free Community Spotlight Award was presented to Essex Elementary School in recognition of the school’s ongoing work building positive personal relationships and maintaining a culture centered on individual uniqueness, diversity, acceptance, and kindness. Marshall, the campaign’s spokesperson, also shared his personal experiences as a victim of bullying, wrapping up the day’s events by leading the crowd in reciting the campaign pledge to “be an agent of change and stand up to all mean-spirited behavior”.
Each attending school district will also receive a free Buddy Bench made by at-risk youth residing at Rushford Academy. Buddy Benches are social inclusion tools, providing a conduit for grade school children to “buddy up” with those who may be feeling isolated during recess or other free play activity times. The Rushford students are building the benches as a way to learn a life skill and give back to their community.
We at CFMC can’t think of a better example of how we can all truly make a real difference by working together. We encourage you to learn more about the issues and the resources available for empowering individuals to be “upstanders” not “bystanders.” Give CFMC a call at 860-347-0025 or visit BullyFreeMiddlesexCountyCF.org.