 | Olweus National Bullying Prevention Training in St. Paul
6/23/2011 3:36 PMOrganized by Hazelden and Minnesota Elementary School Principals' Association
(St. Paul, MN, June
23, 2011) The Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life,
a public service of Clemson University, is holding a nationwide training of
trainers to be certified for the Olweus
Bullying Prevention Program in St. Paul, June 22-24. The Minnesota Bullying
Prevention Initiative, a joint effort of the Minnesota Elementary School
Principals’ Association (MESPA) and Hazelden, a national nonprofit that helps
people reclaim their lives from addiction, organized the training. This
Minnesota initiative promotes and facilitates use of Olweus in Minnesota schools.
Currently,
over 1000 qualified individuals have participated in the Olweus trainer certification process in the United States. Training
of trainer sessions are conducted by highly experienced
members of the Olweus leadership
team. This week’s trainers are Shiryl Barto, M. Ed., from the public
health arm of the Windber Research Institute, and Marlene Snyder, Ph.D. from
the Clemson University Institute on Family & Neighborhood Life. The
individuals receiving training represent social services, public health, and
school administration – and have traveled from Minnesota, California, Illinois,
Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, and
Guam.
“MESPA,
the elementary and middle level principals association in Minnesota, is the
group that should lead the way in Minnesota bullying prevention. Principals
play a vital role in creating a positive school culture,” said P.Fred Storti,
MESPA executive director. “Hazelden and the Olweus Bullying Prevention
Program are the gold standard in evidence-based bully prevention programs.”
In 2009,
MESPA, Hazelden, and the National Association of Elementary School Principals
(NAESP), embarked on an effort called the Minnesota Bullying Prevention
Initiative. According to the 2007 Minnesota Student Survey, 29 percent of
students reported they had been bullied once a week or more often and 55
percent of sixth grade students reported having been teased or excluded by
others within a 30-day time period. In the 2006-2007 school year, there were
857 incidents of bullying resulting in out-of-school suspension or expulsion.
Bullying is a serious issue that affects students’ health, the school climate,
academic achievement, and school liability.
Hazelden, headquartered in Center City,
Minnesota is the leading publisher of evidence-based prevention programs and
the exclusive publisher of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, the
most researched and best-known program of its kind. With over 35 years of
research and successful implementation all over the world, Olweus is a
whole school program that has been proven to prevent or reduce bullying
throughout an educational setting. Many schools that have used the program have
seen reductions in bullying behavior by 50% or more. MESPA is working with Hazelden to educate
schools about the serious issue of bullying and other related violence issues,
and serves as the central source in the state of Minnesota for the Olweus
Bullying Prevention Program and Hazelden’s other violence prevention
programs.
About Hazelden
Hazelden,
a national nonprofit organization founded in 1949, helps people reclaim their
lives from the disease of addiction. Built on decades of knowledge and
experience, Hazelden offers a comprehensive approach to addiction that
addresses the full range of patient, family, and professional needs, including
treatment and continuing care for youth and adults, research, higher education,
public education and advocacy, and publishing. It has facilities in Minnesota,
Oregon, Illinois, New York, and Florida. Learn more at www.hazelden.org or www.olweus.org or call
800-257-7800.
About The Minnesota
Elementary School Principals’ Association (MESPA)
MESPA is a collaborative,
grassroots association serving Minnesota elementary and middle level
principals. MESPA has represented Minnesota principals since 1950, and is
affiliated with the National Association of Elementary School Principals
(NAESP) and its 29,500 members nationwide. For more information about MESPA and
the MN Bullying Prevention Initiative, visit www.mespa.net.
Olweus_Training_St__Paul_Press_Release.pdf
Print-ready copy of the above press release.
|
