APRIL 4, 2002

Connecticut Leads Nation In Anti-Bullying Program For Schools

Unique partnership between state Dept. of Ed., UConn and People's Bank builds strong foundation to benefit Connecticut children

BLOOMFIELD, CONN.
A successful collaboration between the State Department of Education, the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut and People's Bank has established Connecticut as a national leader in training educators to improve the learning environment for students statewide.

"Don't Laugh At Me" is a program designed for use with elementary and middle school youth to help address the problems of bullying, ridiculing, teasing and harassing that can occur in today's schools. The program was developed by Educators for Social Responsibility, in collaboration with Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul and Mary, who was deeply impacted by a song of the same name by Steve Seskin.

Yarrow, a New York resident, visited a training session at the Metropolitan Learning Center in Bloomfield April 3 to praise educators for their commitment to improving students' lives and to thank attendees for their partnership. "I believe this effort is every bit as important as the civil rights movement, the peace movement, the environmental movement," said Yarrow. "Connecticut should be proud of its leadership, and of its leaders. The collaboration we have here between the state Department of Education, the state's flagship university and People's Bank is a role model for other states nationwide."

Don't Laugh At Me is a national initiative launched by Yarrow who has made it his personal mission to reduce violence in America's schools. Operation Respect CT, Inc., was established as a non-profit in September 2001 to support the Don't Laugh At Me initiative in Connecticut.

As a founding partner, People's Bank has provided Operation Respect CT with financial support, office space and equipment and a variety of in-kind services, including strategic planning, public relations and graphic design.

"Positive learning environments are vital to the growth and development of children everywhere," said John A. Klein, People's president and chief executive officer. "The climates of respect we seek to create in Connecticut schools are at the foundation of successful business in Connecticut - both for working parents of today and the workforce of tomorrow."

Klein and his wife, Carla Klein, an educator from Trumbull with 20 years' teaching experience, are the co-chairs of Operation Respect CT. They hosted a dinner April 3 at the Trumbull Marriott which raised more than $100,000 to benefit Operation Respect CT and the Don't Laugh At Me initiative.

Operation Respect CT's "Don't Laugh At Me" program creates environments of respect where children can learn and grow without interference from bullying, teasing, threats or other negative influences. It is offered free of charge to schools and other youth-oriented programs throughout the state. To date more than 3,500 educators in Connecticut have completed the program. These educators include staff such as bus drivers, coaches, lunchroom monitors, recess monitors, PTO members, nurses, social workers and parent volunteers.

In Connecticut, the training is conducted by Jo Ann Freiberg, PhD, co-founder and executive director of Operation Respect CT, in partnership with the state Department of Education with Nancy Pugliese, an educational consultant for the state Department of Education. The Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut is committed to providing the curriculum to all UConn students pursuing careers in education and also is conducting an evaluation of the effectiveness of the program in Connecticut.

Operation Respect CT, Inc.
Don't Laugh At Me
Operation Respect CT, Inc., was established in September 2001 as a nonprofit organization providing schools primarily in Connecticut with education, training and technical assistance in creating safe learning environments, building healthy relationships and reducing youth violence within schools and communities. By collaborating with schools, parents, boards of education and community organizations to enhance the relationships that are formed among students, teachers, administrators, school staff/volunteers and parents, Operation Respect CT offers educators professional development opportunities in the Don't Laugh At Me initiative.

The initiative uses music, video and well-tested instructional activities to help students recognize intolerance due to personal differences, understand that differences are positive, develop compassion for others who are different from themselves, and learn that teasing, name calling, exclusion and ridicule are hurtful to others. Teachers are also provided strategies in helping students develop new ways for resolving conflicts positively.

Connecticut was the first state to introduce the Don't Laugh At me curriculum to schools nationally, and continues to be the only entire state to provide education and technical assistance in support of the initiative. Teams from schools and community-based youth service organizations come together for introductory professional development sessions in the Don't Laugh At Me curriculum as well as the principles and practices behind creating and maintaining "climates of respect," which is at the core of the Don't Laugh At Me effort.

• By March 2002, more than 500 public and private schools and community-based youth organizations throughout the state have been or will be trained in the DLAM initiative.
• By March 2002, over 90 percent of the 169 school districts in Connecticut have joined the effort to create climates of respect. This number continues to grow.
• By the end of the 2001-2002 school year, the second year of the DLAM initiative, well over 5,000 educators will have participated in DLAM training program.
• DLAM is designed primarily for the elementary and middle school populations. It focuses upon healthy expression of feelings, developing caring, compassionate and cooperative individuals, solving conflicts peacefully and appreciating differences.
• The DLAM program is the creation of Peter Yarrow of the musical trio, Peter, Paul and Marry, in collaboration with respected educators and inspired by the heartfelt song written by Steve Seskin entitled, "Don't Laugh At Me."
• The DLAM initiative in Connecticut is made possible through the collaborative efforts of Operations Respect CT, Inc., People's Bank, the Connecticut State Department of Education and the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut.
• DLAM is a national movement. The Connecticut initiative is the largest and only statewide effort.

For more information on Operation Respect CT, please visit www.operationrespectct.org