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Green Bay Packers’ all-time leading receiver, “Dancing with the Stars” champion, and children’s book author Donald Driver was joined by educators, children and health care providers to celebrate Wisconsin Bullying Prevention Awareness Day at Jeremiah Curtin Leadership Academy, a K-8 MPS school on Thursday, September 25, 2014.
Curtin has demonstrated success in reducing bullying through Act Now!, the bullying prevention program that is a collaborative partnership between the Department of Public Instruction, Milwaukee Public Schools and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. Curtin’s efforts over the past two years found that girls and boys who reported being bullied decreased by 68 percent.
Donald Driver is helping to reinforce the importance of reducing bullying through the release of his newest book, Quickie Stands Up to a Bully! due out later this year. “I’m honored to join Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin to deliver a message kids need to hear. Quickie gives us a chance to talk about tough topics in a safe, fun way,” said Driver. “Children need to feel safe and secure in order to be ready to learn.” Driver’s long-standing commitment to the community includes his “Quickie” series of children’s books.
During the 2013-14 school year, more than 40,000 students in more than 100 school districts participated in Act Now! statewide. Over the past several years, statewide efforts have shown that boys who reported being bullied decreased by 32 percent and physical bullying decreased by 26 percent. In that same time frame, intervention by other students in bullying situations increased by 31 percent and interventions by teachers by 38 percent.
Committed to families across Wisconsin, Children’s Hospital created a new online bullying education and prevention resource just for parents, ParentsActNow.com. ParentsActNow.com provides parents with valuable information and effective strategies. ParentsActNow.com supports the existing Act Now! student curriculum and school staff training. The e-learning student curriculum and the innovative staff training component help schools battle bullying by empowering bystanders and improving school climate. Act Now! for students and staff currently is offered at no cost to Wisconsin schools thanks to the generosity of many funding partners, especially Zink the Zebra Foundation.
“Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin is committed to keeping kids healthy and safe. That’s why we created Act Now! bullying prevention e-learning courses. Our research proves Act Now! is effective in producing positive changes in knowledge, attitude and behavior and improving school climate,” said Bridget Clementi, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Community Health and Education executive director.
“Parents have asked for strategies to help their children avoid being bullied or prevent them from bullying others. This new resource for parents of school-age children from K4 through high school will be a valuable tool in helping to reduce bullying, making schools safer and ensuring that children will feel safe so they can learn.”
For more information about Act Now! and other Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin e-learning programs, call toll-free (866) 228-5670 or visit healthykidslearnmore.com.
