Expert speakers will present ideas on ways to reduce bullying and other forms of violence and enhance safe learning environments in schools during the 2016 Rotary World Peace Conference, which takes place
Jan. 15-16 at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, California
ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA - 12/22/2015 (PRESS RELEASE JET) -- Parents hold school teachers and administrators responsible for the academic performance of their children.
But school learning environments are affected by more than the quality of the teachers and the teaching methodologies and materials they use.
Indeed, academic performance in schools across America is often negatively affected by violence - or the threat of violence - on school campuses, from bullying to gang violence.
In fact, it has been estimated that 160,000 children stay home from school every day in this country because they are afraid of being bullied, according to Shirley Zink, president and founder of Simple Acts of Care & Kindness. Bullying is also the third leading cause of teen suicide in the U.S., she said.
The good news is that schools in Southern California and across the country are implementing strategies and programs to reduce bullying and violence on school campuses, several of which will be discussed at the 2016 Rotary World Peace Conference, Jan 15-16 at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, Calif.
Expert speakers on strategies to achieve peace in school settings will include:
— Richard Pershing, Esq., director of the Center for Conflict Resolution at La Sierra University in Riverside, Calif.: Pershing and his wife co-developed the bullying prevention program at the Center for Conflict Resolution, which has been implemented in more than 40 schools across the U.S. and Canada. Pershing will discuss ways to build a culture of peace in schools and other settings. “School campuses, and each of the children who attend them, are barometers of what is taking place inside the individual, at home and in the community,” he said. “If abuse is taking place at home or in the community, it will have an impact on the school climate.”
— Jenni Prisk, founder, Voices of Women, a San Diego-based non-profit that has developed and implemented educational programs in the U.S. and overseas that uplift and empower women and children: Prisk will lead a session that teaches participants about the power of education in peacemaking. Prisk will discuss the results of the Women’s Community Leadership Education program for underserved African American and Hispanic women in San Diego County, which has provided skills in advocacy, community engagement, public speaking and self-development. Prisk will also discuss the results of a special education program at the Daraja Academy for Girls in Kenya, where she revised and taught the Rotary Camp Enterprise business model that is now part of the school’s curriculum.
— Olga Sanchez, a senior program manager for the Dispute Resolution Center, a grant funded program administered by the Community Action Partnership of Riverside County: In 2009, Community Action implemented a preventative aspect to their mediation program that would provide conflict resolution tools directly to elementary, middle, and high school students. The program was started in direct response to conflicts that community members’ children were having in school and has provided more than 1,600 students in 75 Riverside County schools with conflict resolution tools that can help them work out problems without resorting to violence.
— Eden Steele, founder and executive director of Interactions for Peace, a Chula Vista, Calif.-based organization that has developed an anti-bullying program that has been used by 15 different organizations as well as schools throughout San Diego County: Participants in Steele’s session will see, hear and feel the realities of bullying as actors perform short vignettes of real world examples and become aware of the impact of bullying behaviors in our homes, schools, workplaces and communities.
— Shirley Zink, president and founder of Simple Acts of Care & Kindness, Inc., of Corona, Calif.: Zink’s organization developed a program called the World Kindness Youth Conference, which brings Corona-Norco School District fourth graders to Crossroads Christian Church each year where students meet famous speakers who have compelling stories about overcoming bullying and learning the values of respect, teamwork, compassion, understanding and empathy.
About the 2016 Rotary World Peace Conference:
More than 100 nationally- and internationally-known speakers are scheduled to speak at the 2016 Rotary World Peace Conference, which takes place Jan. 15-16 at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, Calif. Speakers will discuss the need for peace and strategies to achieve it in every area of our lives, from home, school and work settings to in our relationships with police, national and international governments. Registration information is available at www.peaceconference2016.org.
Media Contact
Company Name: Rotary International
Name: Steven Levine
Phone: (760) 799-7573
Email Address: rotarysteven@gmail.com
Website: www.peaceconference2016.org