TORONTO – Family Channel has kicked off its 15th annual Bullying Awareness Week campaign with the message to Stand UP! when bullying happens.
Family Channel is also taking the message of bullying prevention on the road, bringing Stand UP! rallies to selected schools across Canada. Hosted by The Next Step’s Briar Nolet (Richelle) and Myles Erlick (Noah), each rally will feature a screening of bullying-themed content from Backstage, an interactive discussion led by a PREVNet representative and a special dance performance. Kids can enter to win by visiting Family.ca and explaining how their school stands up to bullying. The contest is currently open and runs until 5:00 PM ET on October 1st.
This year’s Bullying Awareness Week will run from Monday, November 20 to Friday, November 24. Family Channel has teamed up with Telus Wise (Wise Internet and Smartphone Education) for the second year in a row, this time to create short-form content that addresses digital safety with cast members from the The Next Step. Each short features the stars providing tips and discussing relevant topics, such as how to stand up to cyberbullying, using discretion when posting pictures to social media sites and exercising precaution when spending time online. The shorts will air on Family leading up to and throughout Bullying Awareness Week, airing alongside other bullying prevention-themed programming and footage from the rallies.
“After 15 years, it’s incredible to see how our Family Channel stars, as well as our wonderful collaborators at PREVNet and Telus Wise, remain committed to raising awareness about bullying behaviour and providing our viewers with effective resources to help them stand up,” said DHX Television SVP and GM Joe Tedesco, in the news release. “Bullying remains as important of an issue now as it did when we first launched the campaign, and we are thrilled to have two of our biggest stars – Myles Erlick and Briar Nolet – on board to host this year’s rally tour.”
Family Channel co-founded Bullying Awareness Week in 2003 and developed the Stand UP! campaign in association with PREVNet (Promoting Relationships and Eliminating Violence Network), a national network of Canadian researchers, community organizations and governments committed to ending bullying and promoting positive relationships.
