Sandy Hook Promise Announces Winners for its Say Something Call-to-Action Week
Leading
national gun violence prevention organization Sandy Hook Promise (SHP)
is proud to announce the winners of its second annual Say Something
Call-to-Action Week. The proven Say Something program teaches youth and
adults the signs of at-risk behavior and how to properly intervene
before someone hurts themselves or someone else. The call-to-action week
invites schools and communities across the country to teach youth and
teens how to be “upstanders” in their community instead of being
bystanders.
From October 24th through the 28th, SHP hosted its 2nd
Annual Say Something Call-to-Action week. Hundreds of middle schools
and high schools in 49 states participated in engaging weeklong
activities. To galvanize the schools to make the program and activities
their own, a contest was held. The schools that went above and beyond to
incorporate the core values of Say Something into their school culture,
as well as the community at large, are now being rewarded for all of
their hard work. This year, SHP has expanded its awards to three
categories, which include the grand prize, as well as awards for those
who demonstrated student spirit and creativity and community outreach.
The Say Something grand prizewinner for 2016 is Steele Canyon
High School in Spring Valley, CA, as student ambassadors took full
ownership of planning and executing a series of events throughout the
week to galvanize students. They created posters, decorated the campus,
ran lunchtime activities, created and produced videos for school-wide
broadcasts which opened up dialogue in the classrooms, sent a letter to
parents informing them of the program and encouraging conversation at
home, and ran an Instagram campaign and competition to engage students
via social media, among other events. All of their students participated
in at least one Say Something activity during the week. Steele Canyon
High School also received an honorable mention during last year’s
call-to-action week and has sustained Say Something throughout the year.
As the grand prizewinners, the students will receive a Say Something
plaque, a personal visit from SHP with media and a videographer, Promise
Club Seed Money in the amount of $2,500, mention and recognition on
SHP’s social media channels and related materials.
The winners of
Say Something Student Spirit, Creativity and Sustainability and the Say
Something Community Reach and Sustainability categories are Dutchtown
High School in Hampton, GA and Harvest Middle School in Napa, CA
respectively.
Dutchtown High School’s Peer Mediation Team took the
lead on energizing their peers by setting up a table in the commons
area/lunchroom to educate students about the Say Something program. They
encouraged students to take the pledge of looking for warning signs and
acting immediately if they see or hear something by telling a trusted
adult or by writing an anonymous note and dropping it into a Say
Something box in the counseling office, which will remain for the rest
of the year. The Peer Mediation team also went into classrooms to
discuss bullying and how students can report school violence.
Harvest
Middle School not only held events at their school, but also expanded
its reach to the community by setting up a table at the school’s fall
festival where parents and community leaders also learned about Say
Something. Leading up to the festival, student leaders planned all of
the events and created PowerPoints, videos, padlets and activities.
Student leaders also created a photo booth for students, as well as took
a photo with ¾ of the school in the shape a heart that was shared via
social media. It was the first time the school had done anything like
that.
For being the winners of the Say Something Student Spirit,
Creativity and Sustainability and Say Something Community Reach and
Sustainability categories, Dutchtown High School and Harvest Middle
School each will receive a Say Something plaque, a personal visit from
SHP with media and a videographer, Promise Seed Club Money in the amount
of $1,000 and mention on SHP’s social media channels and related
materials.
The runners up for the Say Something Student Spirit,
Creativity and Sustainability Award are: John Reed Middle School in
Redding, CT and Harding/Garfield Middle School in Lakewood, OH, and the
runners up for the Say Something Community Reach and Sustainability Award are: Clark Lane Middle School in Waterford, CT
and Medina High School in Medina, OH. Each of these schools will
receive a Say Something plaque, Promise Club Seed Money in the amount of
$500 and mention on SHP’s social media channels and related materials.
“To
date, our Say Something program has helped countless students across
the country diffuse potential acts of violence as well as helped those
who were thinking of harming themselves,” said Nicole Hockley,
co-founder and managing director of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of
6-year old Dylan Hockley who was killed in the Sandy Hook tragedy.
“Whenever we do Say Something presentations, there is always someone who
approaches me or our Promise Presenters with a concern about their
friend or a potential threat. Youth and teens see and hear things that
adults can’t, that is why it is so important for us to train them to
look out for one another, be upstanders and to intervene by saying
something if they see an individual exhibiting at-risk behaviors.”
In 4 out of 5 school shootings, the attacker told someone of his/her plans prior to the attack and 70% or people who complete suicide told someone of their intention or gave some type of warning.
SHP’s Know the Signs programs, including Say Something, educate young
people and adults about the warning signs and to how to intervene before
it’s too late.
In the past 22 months, SHP has trained
over 1.340 million youth, teens and adults in at least one of its four
Know the Signs programs, including Say Something. SHP also
released a powerful PSA titled “Evan” in December 2016, which received
over 115 million views worldwide.
About Sandy Hook Promise:
Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) is a national, nonprofit organization based in
Newtown, Connecticut. We are led by several family members whose loved
ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary
School on December 14, 2012 that claimed the lives of 20 first-graders
and 6 educators. Sandy Hook Promise is focused on preventing gun
violence (and other forms of violence) BEFORE it happens by educating
and mobilizing parents, schools and communities on mental health and
wellness programs that identify, intervene and help at-risk individuals.
SHP is a moderate, above-the-politics organization that supports
sensible non-policy and policy solutions that protect children and
prevent gun violence. Our intent is to honor all victims of gun violence
by turning our tragedy into a moment of transformation.
Make the Promise at www.sandyhookpromise.org.