WALTHAM, MA | February 27, 2012
EDC has been invited to participate in an academic symposium on ways to reach youth and promote a culture free from bullying, which is part of the national launch of the Born This Way Foundation by pop star Lady Gaga. EDC Senior Scientist Ron Slaby will share insights and EDC resources and materials at the event, to be held February 29 at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society.
Slaby will join several researchers, experts, policymakers, and foundation representatives for the all-day event, co-hosted by the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The meeting will focus on research findings and new strategies for preventing bullying and building healthy relationships both online and offline.
“I’m pleased to be part of this discussion and the involvement of a popular performer like Lady Gaga will no doubt raise awareness of these issues,” said Slaby, a noted expert on bullying and violence prevention. “We need to keep the focus on what each of us can do to prevent bullying.”
In plenary and breakout sessions, Slaby and other participants will discuss strategies, and best practices, share updates on progress, and collaborate on development of a research and action agenda. The symposium will feature six topical sessions: classroom-based curricula, curricula as a campaign for a networked age, evaluation and assessment, grassroots and peer-driven initiatives, law and policy, and school culture.
Among the EDC resources to be distributed at the sessions will be the Eyes on Bullying program and toolkit, co-authored by Slaby and EDC’s Kim Storey, who will also be attending the event. The toolkit provides strategies, activities, and resources for parents, caregivers, and teachers of preschool and school-age children and youth to use in childcare programs, afterschool and youth programs, schools, and camps. For more on the event, go to: www.gse.harvard.edu/ladygaga.
Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), is a global nonprofit organization that addresses some of the world’s most urgent challenges in education, health, and economic development. EDC manages 350 projects in 35 countries. Visit edc.org.
