Grace Smith House Hosts 'Leadership Institute'

From Grace Smith House:

The Grace Smith House’s Prevention Program hosted their third, annual Connect for Respect: Leadership Institute from July 12 through July 15 at Dutchess Community College. The Leadership Institute, which was sponsored by The United Way of Dutchess-Orange, had 18 students participating from 11 Dutchess County Middle Schools. These students learned leadership and communication skills that will enable them to take an active stand against bullying and cyber bullying in their schools and communities. For their final project, students created a public service announcement (PSA) to bring awareness to these issues. The PSA will be launched in the month of October for Bullying Awareness Month. Be on the lookout for #WeAreUnited.

The Grace Smith House’s Prevention Program provides free workshops to students, administrators and families, educating them on the issues of bullying, cyber bullying and internet safety. One in four kids are bullied on a regular basis, 39 percent of social network users report being cyber bullied, and approximately 160,000 children miss school every day due to fear of being attacked or intimidated by others. When a bystander intervenes, more than half of the time, the bullying behavior stops within 10 seconds. This is why the Prevention Program and educating young teens about bullying is so important.

Photo provided by Gracie House