Bullying Prevention Essay and Art Competitions: Honoring School District Champions

Bullying is not a new concept. In fact, most of us can recall a time when we were bullied, someone else was bullied, or we bullied someone. While bullying can happen anywhere (including online through cyber-bullying), schools are often the center of research. Evaluations on school climate use bullying to help understand relationships. Prevention methods put the teacher or school staff in the driver seat, but these adults may not feel a connection to the work. Our school district created the Bullying Prevention Essay Contest to honor school district champions through literacy. Middle and high school students wrote about adults who made a positive difference. The contest grew to include elementary schools with the Bullying Prevention Art Contest, which used arts-based learning to promote bullying prevention in schools. These programs gave voices to students while reminding adults just how important they are