Dixon – $450,000 for round three of Bully Stoppers

· $450,000 for schools to tackle cyber bullying and bystander behaviour
· Round three of the successful $4 million Bully Stoppers program now open
· Victorian Coalition Government creating safe, inclusive school
communities

Minister for Education Martin Dixon joined with Bully Stoppers expert Robyn Treyvaud and two time Paralympic swimmer Sam Bramham OAM this week at Thornbury High School to announce a further third round of Bully Stoppers school grants worth $450,000.

Thornbury High School’s Class TV interviewed Minister Dixon, students and teachers from local schools, and experts about their experiences in the Bully Stoppers program, and will create an online video to inspire schools considering ways to use a grant.

“Over the first two rounds of Bully Stoppers grants, 187 schools have shared in funding of $750,000 designed to encourage schools and students to think about how they can make a positive difference,” Mr Dixon said.

“While I had great expectations of what schools would create with the grants, the results have been incredible.

“Students are educating their peers about cyber safety, students have written anti-bullying songs and choreographed anti-bullying dances, designed iPad apps and hosted student forums on bullying.

“I look forward to the creative and innovative ways our schools will use this third round of grants to address cyber bullying and teach students about bystander behaviour – what to do when they see bullying in action.”

Since the Bully Stoppers campaign began:

· 187 Victorian schools have received Bully Stoppers grants to run
anti-bullying programs;
· Activities and competitions like ‘Name the Campaign’, Bully Stoppers
quiz and ‘Pledge Your Way to Home and Away’ have attracted more than 1,600 entries;
· Approximately 120,000 people have viewed the Bully Stoppers ad on
YouTube, and hundreds of thousands more have viewed the ad on TV;
· More than 167,000 people have visited the Bully Stoppers website.

In addition, more than 1,800 Victorian schools – four out of every five schools in the state – have signed up to the Victorian Government’s $10 million eSmart cyber safety initiative with the Alannah and Madeleine Foundation.

“The Victorian Coalition Government is committed to continuing to share the important Bully Stoppers message, and is working to ensure our school communities are safe, inclusive and supportive learning environments for all students and staff,” Mr Dixon said.

Over the next week every Victorian Government school will receive a Bully Stoppers pack – including posters, certificates for Bully Stopper of the Month and some of our most popular advice sheets from our Bully Stoppers experts.