If you’re of a certain age, you probably grew up believing that school bullies were an inevitable part of childhood.
Now we know that bullying is a serious problem, and one that the Canadian Safe School Network (CSSN) is helping to combat, especially with a boost from the Toronto Automobile Dealers Association (TADA).
TADA is a sponsor of CSSN, a registered charity which receives no government funding, and provides a new vehicle every two years for the organization’s use.
This year, CSSN will enjoy a prime spot at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto to let the public know about its work.
“TADA has set up a kiosk for us at the Auto Show, and it’s a tremendous opportunity because of the volume of people going through there,” says Stu Auty, president of CSSN.
“It’s a demonstrated effort on their part to support an important community initiative.”
CSSN originally grew out of the Ontario government’s Safe School Task Force in 1997. Auty, a former school administrator and founder of a school for young offenders, knows that prevention is the key.
“We come at it from a number of angles,” he says.
“We have resources, which come with videos and teacher guides, that have been distributed across Canada.
We host conferences, including an annual one that will have close to 500 people from across the country, who deal with a wide range of issues such as legal concerns, mental illness and bullying. We have a public help line, a direct service to the community funded by TD Bank. We also provide direct service to school boards for early intervention.”
The Dodge Grand Caravan provided by TADA works like a rolling billboard, used to move people and materials whenever needed, and will be on display at the show. For more information, visit CanadianSafeSchools.com.
