Cochranites looking to learn more about bullying will be able to do so on a date known nationally as Pink Shirt Day, during a special presentation at the SLS Centre.
The Cochrane Kiwanis Club, in conjunction with the Cochrane Family Resources Network, Family and Community Support Services and the SLS Centre, is sponsoring the presentation, which will feature guest speaker Elizabeth Bennett. It will be held Feb. 22 from 7 to 9 p.m.
Bennett specializes in helping parents navigate the world of teenagers. Her bio refers to her as “the Teen Genie.”
With over 35 years of teaching, administration and coaching experience, Bennett offers a blend of leadership, vision, and practical skills and strategies.
She is an award-winning (recently retired) school principal who “has a passion for empowering people to take on their lives with joy and love.”
Her presentation’s focus is about helping create positive and connected relationships through the use of courageous conversations, in order to reduce the incidence of bullying and suicide, particularly among youth.
Bennett is an international speaker, a contributing author to five best-selling books, and the author of her own recently released Courageous Conversations: A Guide for Parents to Understand and Connect with Their Teen.
She is a board member at Peer Meditation And Skills Training (PMAST), a non-profit Calgary-based organization whose mission is “to equip youth, families, and communities with the skills to manage conflict where they live, learn, work, and play.”
The event summary on Kiwanis’ website says Bennett’s talk will cover such issues as what to do “when your kid is being bullied, your kid is engaged in bullying, (or) your kid is witness to bullying.”
The last Wednesday in February is known across Canada as Pink Shirt Day, when students across Canada don pink shirts to speak out against bullying. This year, the date falls on Feb. 22.
The tradition began in 2007, after Chuck McNeill – a then-ninth-grader in Nova Scotia – was bullied for wearing a pink shirt at school. As a show of solidarity, some of McNeill’s older schoolmates decided to wear pink shirts, and the initiative later spread throughout the country.
While Pink Shirt Day is mostly a school-centric event, Cochrane’s local Kiwanis Club decided to get involved after hearing about bullying close to home.
“We have heard via a member that there had been some issues with bullying in town, which is not surprising – it’s a common problem in all towns,” said Cochrane Kiwanis board member Ron Gosselin.
“So we were trying to figure out where Kiwanis could play a role in this, recognizing that the schools do have some programs, but bullying doesn’t only happen in schools – it happens at the skateboard park, and other areas.”
Gosselin said as the club’s members continued to discuss the issue, they concluded that many parents aren’t prepared to handle the difficult topic, and the idea to bring in an expert was hatched.
Gosselin said kids and parents are welcome to attend, and suggested that since there are only 60 spots, those interested should sign up soon.
The presentation is free, but participants are asked to register at cochranekiwanis.com/events.
Gosselin said Kiwanis hopes to have a related follow-up event on cyberbullying in the near future.
