Students, educators from 10 area schools involved
Teen leaders and educators will be trained to combat harassment and intimidation in schools during a workshop on Friday, Oct. 12 from 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at Lawrence School on Olde 8 Road in Sagamore Hills.
The Dare2Care workshop is a component of the Look Up To Cleveland (LookUp) program of the Cleveland Leadership Center. LookUp is a civic education and leadership development program that teaches high school students about their community, local social and economic issues, and helps them appreciate diversity.
Some 100 students from Lawrence Upper School and Lakewood High School have been trained to facilitate the program. They will lead their peers in examining themselves, their relationships and their school communities in order to develop a tangible plan to reduce bullying in their schools. About a dozen educators and administrators will receive training on how they can lead anti-bullying efforts among their colleagues and support students.
In addition to Lawrence and Lakewood, participating high schools are Andrews Osborne, Cleveland School of the Arts, Gilmour Academy Notre Dame Academy, Lincoln-West, St. Edward, Saint Martin de Porres and Western Reserve Academy.
“The Dare2Care workshop of Look Up To Cleveland furthers our efforts to connect and inspire leaders to become change agents,” said Marianne Crosley, the Leadership Center’s President and CEO. “Students who participate in LookUp programming develop collaborative leadership skills to build an inclusive school community, increase their knowledge of multicultural identities, explore how stereotypes impact leadership, and create action steps to put this knowledge into practice.”
Dare2Care, which was an independent nonprofit until last year when it became part of the Leadership Center, was founded in 2011 by Don Wismer and Liz O’Donnell. More than 400 students, 50 parents and 75 educators have been involved in its workshops and other programs to increase awareness, engage peers in conversation, and create activists to address discrimination issues.
It is now an integral part of the LookUp curriculum, said Evie DuVernay, Look Up To Cleveland Program Director. “Helping high school students understand inclusion and combat bullying is important to their leadership development and shows them how they can contribute to their community,” she said.
O’Donnell said training educators is important as well. “We know students don’t have the kind of support that they need to thrive and do well,” said O’Donnell. “Working with educators will help create a supportive environment across the school.”
For information about the workshop or Dare2Care, contact Evie DuVernay, Look Up To Cleveland Program Director, at eduvernay@cleveleads.org or (216) 592-2296.
Media contact: Michael E. Bennett, VP of External Affairs, Work: (216) 591-2426, Cell: (216) 408-3874, mbennett@cleveleads.org