Anti-bullying event to be hosted by Mediation Center
More than 150 students in grades 7 through 12 from throughout the mid-Hudson Valley will gather at Dutchess County BOCES Dec. 2 for the Fifth Annual Anti-Bullying Youth Summit, hosted by the Mediation Center of Dutchess County.
The event will start at 8:45 a.m. at the BOCES facility at 900 Salt Point Turnpike and is free for students. It is sponsored by the United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region and the Dutchess County Division of Youth Services.
Students and teachers will take part in a series of workshops and discuss what they are doing in their schools to combat bullying. The event will include the presentation of the Upstander Award, given to a group or individual that has stood up to bullying.
Local educators have praised the annual gathering for helping their students gain awareness about the issue. “Our students have attended the Antibullying Youth Summit every year since its inception,” said Denise Hains, a counselor at Millbrook Middle School. “The summit has been extremely beneficial to our students in terms of their understanding, tolerance, acceptance and diversity.”
Students from Millbrook Middle School will give a presentation at the event on how to create public service announcements with an anti-bullying message.
For more information on the summit, contact Honey Minkowitz, bullying prevention coordinator, at the Mediation Center, at 845-471-7213.
ABOUT THE MEDIATION CENTER
The Mediation Center of Dutchess County has been helping people, organizations and businesses resolve conflict for more than 30 years. The center helps parents in custody disputes, helps families decide on the care of aging parents, and aids businesses and customers in financial disputes – just about anyone seeking mediation to resolve conflict. The center’s anti-bullying initiative engages the community to work together to end bullying by holding an annual Walkathon, teaching prevention and intervention skills in schools with the evidence-based Olweus Bullying Prevention Program and hosting the annual Youth Summit.
