Unite Against Bullying

UNITY DAY - OCT. 10, 2012 Unite Against Bullying With Ellen DeGeneres, Anderson Cooper and Thousands of Students Across the Country What are your true colors when it comes to bullying? If you care about students who are bullied and want bullying to end, make your color orange on Unity Day  – Wednesday, Oct. 10. Link together in schools, the community, and online, and send one very large orange message of support to students who have been bullied. This special event is part of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Month , and the key message is “Make it Orange, Make it End!” Unity Day began in 2011 and is held on the second Wednesday in October. Last year, Ellen DeGeneres wore orange on her television program and talked about the importance of Unity Day as a way to show support and raise awareness. This year, Anderson Cooper will do the same on his daytime show “Anderson Live,” and DeGeneres will “tweet” about Unity Day to her 13 million Twitter followers. Won’t you join them in raising awareness and showing support on Unity Day? What Can You Do on Unity Day? Wear Orange! It’s easy to offer support for those who have been bullied – just wear something orange! Whether you choose orange socks or shoes, an orange necktie, or an orange T-shirt, you will be showing that you care. Students can use orange markers to write “Unity” on their hands and binders, too. If you want to make a bold statement and support the work of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center at the same time, purchase the “Official” Unite Against Bullying T-shirt  for your school, team, organization, or yourself. PACER is partnering with CustomInk, the “design online” custom T-shirt company, as part of its “Be Good to Each Other” campaign. You can order the official orange shirt, create your own design, or order one designed by a celebrity. All profits from the campaign support PACER. Walk the Walk in a Pair of Hand-painted “Unite Against Bullying” Converse Shoes It’s important to speak up in support of those who have been bullied. If you want to do more than just talk, you can “walk the walk” in a unique pair of orange hand-painted “Unite Against Bullying” Converse shoes. PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center is partnering with The Swanx (theswanx.com ) shoe company of Puyallup, Wash., to offer three different versions of Converse shoes for National Bullying Prevention Month. The Swanx is making a generous donation to PACER for every shoe sold from its entire collection of hand-painted shoes during October. Take a look! Order a Unity Day Banner for Your School “Unite Against Bullying” banners are a great way for students at your school to make a powerful visual statement of support on Unity Day. Hang the banner in a prominent place where kids can sign it and show that they care. Speedy Signs  of Lake City, Fla., is making banners (2 feet by 4 feet) available at a 25% discount to the first 100 schools that request one. To order, visit the Speedy Signs website , select the 24-inch by 48-inch option, click on “add to cart,” and enter the keyword "PACER25." If you aren’t among the first 100 schools to order, there are other value-priced banners, school posters, and decals available. Set up a “Unity Table” to Hand Out Orange Ribbons Unity ribbons are one more way to get students involved on Oct. 10. Set up a “Unity Table” in a high-traffic area at your school, a prominent place where you can hand out ribbons and raise awareness. Create your own ribbons using a 5/8 inch-wide spool that can be purchased at a craft shop or dollar store. Cut the ribbon into 12-inch strips, and use a black permanent marker to write your own message on each ribbon. It can say “Unity,” “The End of Bullying Begins With Me,” or an original bullying prevention message that’s right for your school on Unity Day . Promote Unity Day Online and in Person The more people who participate in Unity Day, the greater the impact will be. There are many ways you can promote Wednesday, Oct. 10 both in school and online. Be sure to ‘Attend’ and ‘Share’ the Unity Day Facebook Event  with family and friends. Print the informational flyer, bring it to school, and talk with your teacher, guidance counselor, or principal about how your school can participate. You might even suggest a class discussion to your teacher about the meaning of “unity.”Learn more Use Social Media to Share Your Unity Day Events, Activities, Photos Students across the country are holding events on Unity Day, and it is important to share what you are doing with others. Use Facebook and Twitter to tell everyone about your Unity Day activities at school, in the community, and online. Be sure to post your pictures on the Unity Day Facebook page  and update your status to “Unity Day – Wednesday, Oct. 10.” Together we can “Make it Orange, Make it End!”