The positive after effects are still being registered from the annual JMR STARS Leadership Retreat held in November, and we wanted to share some of the good news with you.

Made possible by the family of Ambassador Joe M. Rodgers and named in his honor, over 350 students from 20 area high schools and almost 125 students from 10 area middle schools gathered in Nashville for Students Taking A Right Stand (STARS) Move 2 Stand training. Held on separate days for high school and middle school, the training equips student athletes and student leaders to take a stand against bullying and harassment while contributing to the overall school climate. Students were challenged to step outside their comfort zone throughout the day examining attitudes and beliefs about bullying while providing them with the awareness, knowledge and information in order to plan and implement school wide initiatives to help foster a positive school climate.

 

 

“One of our best kept secrets with huge results,” is how Eric Johnson, STARS’ associate executive director, describes Move 2 Stand. Days after the JMR Leadership Retreat, five different inquiries were made by students and administrators wanting to start Move 2 Stand movements in their schools. Here are some of the area great results Johnson has reported:

-Glencliff High School had 10 to 15 students attend and they have gone back to their school to start a Move 2 Stand already holding their first meeting.  These kids are realizing that one person can make a difference. They have great ideas to impact the culture of their school.

-An Independence High School parent attended the training and shared, in comparison to some national training programs, Move 2 Stand provides stronger help and guidance. She was so taken by the day that she offered to help pay for it due to the impact of the days’ training.

-20 eager and motivated leadership students from Page High school who attended the training, contacted their schools administrators in hopes of having the M2S team to come train all 850 students in their Williamson County school.

Finally, here is some of the student feedback:

“I thought at first, what did I get myself into?  I know this was the right choice for me and I will help.”  

“Thank you for teaching us about how many people are hurt by our words. You rock, Move 2 Stand.”

“Today, you’ve taught me to love people for who they are and that other people share the same difficulties. It is not like judging a book by its cover.” 

Kids are motivated to go back to the school to implement change says Johnson. They are being equipped with a voice, the confidence and a sound ideology to make a difference.

“Through Move 2 Stand, it has been an opportunity to motivate and to empower young people to go back to their schools and begin change. We are giving them workable strategies to help kids being bullied. It is so exciting for me that young people are doing something to help their peers.  It is not adults or STARS staffers making a difference, it is the young people who will successfully apply these strategies,” Johnson said.

STARS next Move 2 Stand training will take place January 6, 2012 at Harpeth High School in Cheatham County. For more information on implementing this important youth leadership training, contact Eric Johnson at 615-279-0058.

Last week, a kid at school was making fun of a friend of mine whose name is Nam. Nam is Asian—he is from Vietnam—and this other kid was being really mean to him. He was making fun of his accent and pointing out things about him that are different. Nam was getting a little angry, and this kid was like “What are you going to do? Use your Kung  Fu on me?” It was really humiliating. I mean, we’re all different. We look different, and we do things in different ways…. Making fun of someone just because something about that person is different is NOT cool.

The worst part about it? I didn’t do anything. I just stood there and watched it happen. I guess I was just scared. I didn’t want to say something and then have that kid start picking on me, you know? Nam is one of my best friends—I should have done SOMETHING! I’ve been thinking a lot about that day lately. If someone was bullying me like that, I would want someone to help me out. If we just stand around and watch, the kid who is bullying will probably keep on doing it. I’ve decided that the next time I see a kid getting treated that way—even I don’t know the kid very well—I’m going to do something to stop it. I’m going to get a grown-up, I’m going to go stand by the kid being made fun of, maybe I will even be brave enough to tell the kids who is bullying that what they’re doing isn’t cool… SOMETHING!

Hi, friends.  Clare Sanchez here.  I’m having such a GREAT year at school!  But last year wasn’t so hot.  There was this one girl in my class, Rebecca, who was really out to get me.  She was constantly putting me down and doing every mean thing to me she could think of.  She made up lies about me to try and turn my friends against me.  She even made racist comments about my family being from Mexico like, “Where’s your sombrero, Clare?!” and once she even posted a comment on FB that said, “Does anyone else think that Clare is starting to look like a burrito?”  She had this posse of friends that would just stand there and watch her doing these awful things to me, laughing and cheering her on.

I didn’t want to tell anyone about it because I was really ashamed and embarrassed, and I didn’t think anyone could really do anything to help me.  I also felt really guilty because I had watched Rebecca do the same kind of ugly things to a friend of mine the year before, and I didn’t do anything to help her.  She must have felt just as miserable and humiliated as I did!  And I did NOTHING to try and stop it!  I was scared, I guess, and maybe even a little glad it wasn’t happening to me.  But then last year, Rebecca decided it was my turn, and I felt like I actually deserved it.  I didn’t think I was really being bullied because I wasn’t being beat up or anything, but the things Rebecca did hurt me just as much as if she’d broken every bone in my body.

Believe it or not, things finally got better when I got the help I needed and Rebecca got the help she needed.  I’ll tell you all about it in my next blog entry.  Nos vemos!

Back by popular demand it is that time again to provide the students that we serve with training and leadership opportunities.  STARS’ is proud to once again host the JMR Youth Leadership Conference.  This year’s conference will allow students the opportunity to experience the power to be MOVED by being motivated to Move 2 Stand for their peers who need additional support when it comes to being bullied or harassed.

We will host high school students on November 8, 2011 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.  We will host middle school students on Thursday, November 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.  All trainings will be held at the Nashville First Church of the Nazarene, located at 510 Woodland St., Nashville, TN 37206.

For more information, please call 615-279-0058.