No Name-Calling Week is successfully bringing awareness to the bullying and harassment epidemic that plagues schools nationwide. The program, which was initially developed for grades 5-8, has many teachers at Applewood Elementary considering even younger age groups to include, as they find the earlier students are taught to respect others’ differences, the better prepared they are for the future.

(Lesson plans for grades K-12 are available at nonamecallingweek.org.)

Enthused by the endless ways to participate in No Name-Calling Week, Applewood students are dividing up their week with days like “make a new friend day,” “politeness day,” and “unity day.”

Applewood Elementary School counselor Ashley Jurkowski hopes that when the students enter middle and high school, they will “think ahead — and back — to their days at Applewood,” before engaging in peer-pressured bullying.

5th grader Elizabeth Kisner already sees the value in her No Name-Calling Week experience.

If your school isn’t participating in No Name-Calling Week, let your teachers know about your interest in it for next year!

How you can participate now:

The Creative Expression Contest allows students K-8 to submit essays, poetry, music, original artwork, and other pieces that convey their experiences and feelings about name-calling, and their ideas for putting a stop to verbal bullying in their schools.

GLSEN has also added a new High School category to the contest for short-film submissions that focus on anti-LGBT name-calling and bullying in school in partnership with Stories By Us.

All entries must be postmarked on or received via fax or e-mail by 6pm Eastern time on Friday, February 26, 2010. Winners will be notified by telephone, mail, or e-mail by April 2010.