Facing History and Ourselves Helps Turn Frustration into Understanding

The organization Facing History and Ourselves has launched “A Guide to the Film Bully: Fostering Empathy and Action in Schools.
By: Bendure Communications, Inc.
 
April 9, 2012 - PRLog -- The organization Facing History and Ourselves has launched “A Guide to the Film Bully: Fostering Empathy and Action in Schools.” Facing History and Ourselves was asked to develop the companion guide to the film BULLY by its creators.  The guide is free and is available as a stand-alone workbook for parents and educators by going to http://safeschools.facinghistory.org/.

The film BULLY, which has just been released in New York and Los Angeles and will have wider release in cities across the U.S. on April 13, is a documentary on the epidemic of bullying.  Over 13 million children and adolescents will be bullied this year in America, making bullying the most common form of violence that young people experience.  This powerful film is an insight into the often cruel world of bullied children. Sundance and Emmy-award winning filmmaker Lee Hirsch has tackled the issue head on with an unflinching look at how bullying touched the lives of five children and their families. Unlike many other documentaries, there’s no narrator for this film to provide context and no experts to explain the psychology of those who bully or are bullied.  The result is a film that is undeniable and emotional and serves as a starting point for conversation.  

“We are proud to be partners with this film to help further discussion through our guide book which includes additional stories as well as analysis and questions to provoke thinking about solutions,” said Marc Skvirsky, chief program officer and vice president of Facing History and Ourselves.  “It’s very important that parents and educators download the guide for further context, analysis, and intellectual framework for meaningful discussion in minimizing bullying.”  

The guide is intended to help educators, including teachers and parents use the film to encourage  honest and open dialogue about caring and responsibility. It also provides opportunities for administrators and teachers to reflect upon their own practice in order to create a safer school environment for all students.

Facing History and Ourselves has provided educational curricula and tools for almost 30,000 middle and high school teachers.  Facing History curricula, which includes additional resources on the phenomenon of bullying, will reach over 2 million students.  The organization combats racism, antisemitism, and prejudice and nurtures democracy through education programs worldwide. Since its inception, more than 20 million students worldwide have experienced the Facing History program.

The primary author of the guide is Daniel Sigward who worked extensively with middle school students for eight years in the Boston area. Sigward taught Facing History curricula to eighth graders before joining the organization as a researcher and curriculum writer this past fall.

For more information on Facing History and Ourselves, visit www.facinghistory.org.


About Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves combats racism, anti-Semitism, and prejudice and nurtures democracy through education programs worldwide.  Since its inception in 1976, Facing History has grown to have nine offices in the United States and an office in London. The organization also has education partners in Northern Ireland, Israel, Rwanda, South Africa, and China. To date, Facing History has provided curricula that has been used by more than 20 million students worldwide.

Editor’s Note:  Martin Sleeper, associate executive director of Facing History and Ourselves, Marc Skvirsky, chief program officer and vice president, and Dan Sigward, author of the guide, are available for interviews by contacting Vicki Bendure at 540-687-3360 or 202-374-9259 cell.
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Source:Bendure Communications, Inc.
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Tags:Bully, Documentary, Bullying, Schools, Children, Movie
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