Beyond Bullying III: Creating a Culture of Respect in Learning Environments
March 8, 2016
Keynote Presentation
Colin Ryan, Comedian, Motivational Speaker, and Author
Colin Ryan has traveled across the country empowering students and adults to formulate
better stories with their lives -- by overcoming fear and self-doubt and learning from failure.
Colin is passionate about sharing powerful skills and telling entertaining stories that can help
everyone identify, and ultimately live, their dreams.
www.colinryanspeaks.com
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Morning Workshops
A - Creating A Culture of Kindness
A workshop by the Keynote Presenter: Colin Ryan
Focus: Through powerful storytelling and pop culture touchstones, Colin shows students
the skills they need to reach their dreams.
 Overcome fear and self-doubt
 Overcome bullying and develop leadership
 Students learn skills to create great stories with their lives
B - Stomping Stories: We have many stories that contribute to how we see ourselves and how
we operate in the world.
Presenter: Lida Winfield, Vermont dancer, choreographer, and spoken word artist
Focus: To utilize artistic expression and movement as empowering tools to explore
different ways of creating stories.
 Use performing arts as a powerful tool for nurturing the imagination
 Share stories and build empathy between and among students
 Build bridges and contribute to the growth of community, altering bullying within
school culture
C - Youth Activation: Students Changing School Culture
Presenters: Sam Donnelly, Director of Programs, Special Olympics Vermont
Youth Activation Committee students representing 5 Vermont schools
Focus: Providing opportunities for students of all abilities to be leaders in their schools
and communities
 Promote equality and acceptance throughout your school
 Find your voice: learn to become a change agent striving for respect and inclusion
 Positively impact your school community by promoting social inclusion
 Play unified, live unified
D - Digital Citizenship-Digital Literacy-Digital Judgment
Presenters: Maura Kelly, Teacher and Students from Peoples Academy Middle Level,
and Rachel Mark, Tarrant Institute for Innovative Education
Focus: Exploring digital judgment, identity, and citizenship, and how our virtual
decisions and actions influence our schools communities
 Understand digital literacy in an era of “info-besity”
 Consider digital footprints and personal influence on information
 Recognize digital decisions and the impact on community culture
 Share ideas and resources
E - Bullying, Harassment, Hazing Prevention for the World of Athletics
Presenters: Kara Toms, Coaching for Captains. Kara ‘s background as a successful athlete
in gymnastics, diving, track and field, rugby and ice hockey, as well as coaching
experience, gives her firsthand understanding of the pressures that student athletes
face. High school athletes will participate in the presentation.
Focus: Prevention/intervention skills for real life situations, on and off the playing field
 Gain a heightened awareness of bullying, harassment, and hazing in athletics
 Understand what bullying, harassment, and hazing mean and how to prevent them.
F - Mindfulness in Education
Presenters: Denise Casey, Program Director of Modern Mindfulness, artist and
educator, with Winooski Middle School students
Focus: To explore how the practice of mindfulness helps us build self-confidence and
care for ourselves and others
 What is mindfulness?
 What is the point of practicing mindfulness?
 How can we use mindfulness in stressful situation
G - Getting to Y: Youth Bringing Meaning to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey Rm.422 (28)
Students learn to analyze their school’s survey, and become prevention advocates in
shaping positive health norms for the school.
Presenters: Erin Dezell, Assistant Director, UP for Learning, Pam Arnold, Principal, Main
Street Middle School, Montpelier, Student Ambassadors, Main Street Middle School
Focus: Bringing meaning to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey and identifying goals for
changing school culture
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Reflections of Main Street Middle School Student Ambassadors and Principal on the
process used at their school
An overview of the Getting to Y initiative and how it can be used in your school
H - Beyond the Sticker: Ally-ship for LGBTQ+ Youth
All students deserve to feel safe, healthy, and supported at school, right? For many
LGBTQ students this may not be the case.
Presenter: Dana Kaplan, M.S., Director of Education, Outright Vermont
Focus: To join with peers in activities and conversations about how to make your school
more inclusive and affirming for all students.
 Review terms, definitions, and concepts related to gender and sexual identity.
 Learn tips and strategies for creating an inclusive school environment
 Increase empathy and awareness of current realities for LGBTQ Vermont youth
I - Rumor Clinic -- Stop the Rumors! A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE Institute
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE Institute trains students as peer leaders to advocate for
prevention of bias, bullying and harassment, and discrimination.
Presenters: Student Peer Leaders from a Vermont World of Difference school
Focus: Rumors, often a source of hurtful behavior in schools, can be complicated to
address. In this session students consider how rumors start and how to prevent them.
 Provides tools students can use to intervene in the rumor mill and create a culture of
respect.
J - White Fragility – The struggle within dominant communities to tolerate discussions on
race without feeling shame, guilt, or victimization.
Presenters: The Peace and Justice Center, a Vermont-based non-profit working on the
interconnected issues of economic and racial justice, peace and human rights.
Co-Facilitators: Rachel Siegel, Executive Director of the Peace and Justice Center, and
Beverly Little Thunder, an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Lakota Band.
Focus: Explore the inequality of people of color face in Vermont and learn ways to talk
about racism within predominately white communities
 Practice talking about racism and your own personal experiences with race
 Discuss ideas that can be used to help understand and address racism
 Learn ways that you can be part of undoing racism.
Lunchtime: Building a Leader: Leading by Example - A Whole Group Activity
Peer Leaders from 3 schools guide students to explore characteristics of leaders. Reflecting on
positive leadership qualities that they already possess, students will make connections between
those leadership qualities and actions they can take to increase understanding and respect.
Afternoon Workshops
K – Taking a Stand in Many Place and Spaces – A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE Institute
Presenters: Student Peer Leaders
Focus: Where in your school do bullying and harassment take place?
 Strategies to prevent and stop bullying and harassment, depending upon where they
happen and what categories they fall into
 Students will have the opportunity to “take a stand” about a variety of topics.
L - Stomping Stories, Lida Winfield, Vermont dancer, choreographer, spoken word artist
M - Youth Activation, Project UNIFY, Special Olympics Vermont
N - Digital Citizenship, Digital Literacy, Digital Judgment -Peoples Academy, Tarrant Institute
O - Bullying Prevention in Athletics – Kara Toms, Coaching for Captains
P - Mindfulness – Denise Casey, Modern Mindfulness, Winooski Middle School Students
R - Getting to Y – Youth Behavior Survey analysis and planning – UP for Learning, Main Street
Middle School students
S - Ally-ship for LGBTQ – Dana Kaplan, Outright Vermont
U – White Fragility – Rachel Siegel and Beverly Little Thunder, Peace and Justice Center