The City of Port Coquitlam will once again take a stand against bullying by taking part in Stop Bullying Day on February 27, 2013.
This is the City’s sixth year participating in the national anti-bullying campaign that started in 2007 after two boys in Nova Scotia rallied around another student who was bullied for wearing a pink polo shirt.
The City will mark Stop Bullying Day with a proclamation by Council on February 25 along with activities on February 27 designed to raise awareness about bullying (see below).
On February 27, wear something pink to symbolize that we as a society will not tolerate bullying anywhere. Wear a pink shirt, hat, scarf, glasses - or whatever! - while at school, work, or wherever you are.
bc211
This year, Youth Services has partnered with bc211, an information and referral organization.
The free, confidential, multilingual 24/7 service connects people to community, social and government services. It can be accessed by dialling 2-1-1 or visiting redbookonline.bc211.ca.
Activities on February 27
- February 27, 7-9 am at the Hyde Away Youth Centre: Local youth will gather for pink-themed breakfast snacks, educational and thought-provoking activities with a focus on how to deal with cyber bullying, slam poetry by Terry Fox student Jacob Gebrewold. Resources and self-help information will also be available.
- February 27, 6 pm at the Hyde Away and 5:30 pm at Wilson Centre: Special youth dinners will be held at both locations. Both dinners will feature pink desserts along with fun and thought-provoking activities, and all in attendance are asked to wear pink. Youth can attend either dinner for $2. The Wilson Centre dinner is also open to its members (adults age 55 and up) for $5, with proceeds going towards purchasing ingredients.
- Youth Services staff are wearing pink shirts during February and will be joined by other City staff and Council members on Feb. 27.
- Pink “Stop Bullying – bc211” bracelets are available free to local middle schools to provide connection to the 2-1-1 help line, funded by the United Way.
- Resource boards are posted at the Hyde Away and Offside to help youth understand and avoid bullying behaviour, and find support.
- The Port Coquitlam Youth Society and I Am Someone anti-bullying campaign are hosting Challenge Days workshops on Mar. 12, 13 and 14 to educate and raise awareness. For information, visit pocoyouthsociety.com.
What is bullying?
Bullying is defined as a power relationship carried on by one individual or group towards another person, and can include rumours, threats and hurtful words, in person or online, in addition to physical violence.
The annual Pink Shirt Day campaign, sponsored by CKNW, raises awareness about bullying and provides tools to help respond to and eradicate bullying.
- How to spot a bully and what to do
- Learn about Pink Shirt Day and other anti-bullying tools and information
- Access bc211, a free, confidential, multilingual 24/7 service that connects people to community, social and government services.
More information
For more information about the Youth Services events, visit www.pocoyouth.com or contact the Youth Services Coordinator at 604.927.7981.