At Greenwood Elementary in Wakefield, Massachusetts, two students made a Monday morning announcement over the school public address system:

“Good morning! Remember we are all different and unique. Let’s celebrate our differences. Sticks and stones may break your bones, but mean words can tear holes in your spirit.”

And at Hammond Elementary School in Columbia, Maryland, guidance counselor Patty Smith led students in an “activity of the day” to affirm the goal of mutual respect for one another:

• on Wednesday, each student was asked to say one positive thing to someone they don’t know;
• on Thursday, they wrote “Kindness grams” to deliver to peers they don’t usually hang around with;
• and on Friday, all students and staff dressed in blue and gold — the school colors — as a show of unity against name-calling and other forms of bullying.

These are just a few of the creative and impactful ways that students and teachers across our country observed No Name-Calling Week 2012.

Help GLSEN build on the powerful success of events like No Name-Calling Week by making a donation today.

No Name-Calling Week was a tremendously positive way to deliver GLSEN’s message of respect for difference and diversity. And it’s an event made possible largely by your generous contributions.

Sadly, however, it wasn’t this week’s only story about the critical issue of bullying.

In Tennessee, state legislators advanced a bill to actually protect bullies by shielding them from disciplinary action or other intervention if their name-calling and torment is based on “religious freedom.”

It’s a sad day in our country when “religious freedom” is defined as the right to make a vulnerable young student’s life miserable and unsafe.

This is precisely why events like No Name-Calling Week, and GLSEN’s National Day of Silence in April, are so very important. We must continue to beat the drum that bullying and name calling are wrong in every circumstance, in every school, and when directed at any student.

Affirm your commitment to eliminate bullying and name calling in America’s schools. Support GLSEN today.

Today marks the last day of GLSEN’s ninth annual No Name-Calling Week. We couldn’t be more happier with the participation. As we mentioned in a previous post, thousands of schools took part including communities like Kewanee, IL; Fort Scott, KS; Asheville, NC and; Mandeville, LA.

But what about when a corporation teams up to participate in No Name-Calling Week?

Cisco Systems has been a leading sponsor of No Name-Calling Week for the past six years. Cisco Systems Vice President and GLSEN Board Member Rick Moran took some time out of his busy schedule to share this thoughts about why the company supports the program, his own experiences with bullying and what to do if a student is bullied.

Cisco Vice President Rick Moran

Thanks for sitting down with us for an interview. Can you share how Cisco first became involved in No Name-Calling Week?

Cisco got involved six years ago, which was before I joined the [GLSEN] board.  I was in NYC and met with Kevin (GLSEN’s founder and former Executive Director).  We talked about GLSEN’s programs, and No Name-Calling Week really stood out as a program that I thought Cisco might support.  I reported back to our LGBT and Advocates employee resource group and suggested we rally around it.  Most people didn’t know anything about it, but once they heard about the lessons and resources, they got very excited.

So No Name-Calling Week really grabbed their attention? 

Cisco’s tagline is “Changing the way people live, work, play and learn” and this program touched “learn”.  The members of the LGBT employee resource group got very excited and wanted to help.  They engaged other Cisco employee resource groups to also participate.

Cisco employees at a school for No Name-Calling Week

That’s amazing. It’s also incredible that Cisco actually participates in the program. What does that usually look like?

Generally, we have 40 to 50 participants.  They wear Cisco t-shirts, introduce themselves, wear a badge and give a lesson.  They find it amazing and gratifying.  The challenge is the education environment is that we have to work a little harder to help the educators feel comfortable with having a non-teacher in their classroom.  But in all of the No Name-Calling Week experiences, we’ve had a great response from schools in Raleigh, suburban Dallas and Silicon Valley.

You mentioned about involving other Cisco employees in the week-long program. Can you share a little bit more about that?

We’ve brought in members of other employee resources groups: Hispanic, People of Color, Women.  We have a lot of employees who are new to the country, especially from the Middle East, as many  of our engineers come from India and Pakistan.  Their kids are bullied, and the culture of the company is to support and help them.

It’s very rewarding to hear No Name-Calling Week would resonate with people coming from different backgrounds including immigrant families. It’s also interesting to hear you describe Cisco like more of a community than simply a workplace.

Cisco has an interesting dynamic and presence in Silicon Valley.  We have 37,000 employees on campus, but when you add their children and other dependents, we have connections to more 100,000 people.  So what happens at Cisco can really be a force for change.

Cisco employee teaching a No Name-Calling Week lesson

As you know, bullying can manifest itself in different ways. The topic of cyberbullying is gaining a lot of traction and is something that we at GLSEN are paying more attention to. Is cyberbullying something Cisco cares about?

We are a hardware company.  We build networks. There’s a lot that we can do through our technologies, and we are actively looking at the implications of all this in the cyberworld, where the rules are different and the opportunity to do harm is great.

Of course, it’s been great to count Cisco as a leading sponsor of No Name-Calling Week. But can you share why the educational event personally resonates with you?

My dad was an educator, which meant we were around teachers all the time, so I had a very different relationship with teachers.  I grew up in a mid-sized town with 5 high schools and 8 middle schools.  I believed that teachers were there to help me, and I went to them when I needed help.

You’ve watched No Name-Calling Week grow from a small event into one of the largest bullying prevention programs in the country. Why does Cisco continue to lend its support?

Over the years, people have wondered what Cisco is willing to stand behind.  I’m very proud that Cisco has been so willing to stand behind No Name-Calling Week for the past six years.  Seeing other corporations get involved is fantastic — of course, I’d like for us to be the only sponsor of the program — but I’m thrilled to see others step forward.  It’s a powerful statement about being willing to take on the challenge of bullying.

Cisco employee teaching at a school during No Name-Calling Week

Thanks to you and Cisco, we’ve definitely been able to grow the program into what it is today. We just have one final question before we let you go: what advice would you give to a student who is the victim of bullying?

I learned that the most important thing to do about bullying is to tell someone.  Talk to an adult.  It is simply the most important thing you can do.  Get out of the situation as quickly as you can.  It’s ok to run away and be ready to fight another day.  And if you see someone else getting bullied, and you can’t help, get someone who can. Don’t ever turn a blind eye.

Thanks Rick for taking the time to chat with us. We also appreciate your support.

GSA Day was first organized in 2006 by the Iowa Pride Network after Governor Tom Vilsack declared October 25, 2006, “Iowa Gay-Straight Alliance Day” in honor of GSAs around the state that work to improve Iowa school climate. This year, the statewide observance has gone national with a host of support.

This is what GLSEN Executive Director Dr. Eliza Byard had to say about GSA Day:

GLSEN is proud to work with the thousands of GSAs across the country, Iowa Pride Network and fellow National GSA Day partners to recognize the tremendous impact these student clubs have on creating safe and affirming learning environments for all students.

Curious about how a GSA can benefit a student in school? Check out GLSEN’s Research Brief  filled with interesting findings on how GSAs are actually beneficial to improving school climate.

The White House is also celebrating National GSA Day. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan made a special video for students in GSAs. You can watch it below!

It’s worth noting that issues facing GSAs have not been ignored by the Obama Administration. The U.S. Department of Education issued a “Dear Colleagues” letter outlining the legal rights of students to establish GSAs in school.

So what are YOU doing to celebrate National GSA Day?

Here are a few ideas to get involved:

Start a GSA. Does your school not have a GSA? You’re not alone and we have the tools if you want to establish a GSA at your school. Take a look at some of the easy-to-read GSA resources that we offer to student leaders. We make GSA organizing a snap with tips, tools and activities. Get the goods!

Be counted. Take part in GLSEN’s GSA Census so we can make sure student-led clubs like yours have the resources and support to continue your work in schools across the country. The process is simple and will take less than 3 minutes!

Connect. Join the Gay-Straight Alliances Facebook page where you can network with other GSA student leaders, exchange tips and find a community of other amazing students working to improve their schools and communities.

Lobby with us. GLSEN is still accepting applications for its Safe Schools Advocacy Summit. The 4-day event in Washington, DC brings together students, educators, parents and community members to learn about how to become effective Safe School advocates. GLSEN covers all of your expenses (travel, accommodations, food, etc) if your selected to come. Applications are due February 1. Apply here!

How are you celebrating National GSA Day? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter!

The week-long event was first organized by GLSEN and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing with more than 50 participating organizations supporting the week-long event including the National Education Association and the National Association of Elementary School Principals.

DID YOU KNOW? This is the ninth annual No Name-Calling Week. The event was first organized in 2004.

There’s been a lot of buzz around this year’s event. Media have reported about No Name-Calling Week taking place in communities like Phoenix, Fort Scott and Asheville. Massachusetts went a step further with Governor Deval Patrick designating January 25 as “No Name-Calling Day”  in the Bay State.

Even Boy Scouts America endorsed No Name-Calling Week.

FUN FACT: Schools participating in No Name-Calling Week can download a variety of lesson plans, activities and other suggested resources. There have been more than 27,000 downloads of our materials in the past 30 days alone.

GLSEN’s No Name-Calling Week was inspired by “The Misfits,” a young adult novel written by James Howe. The story follows four students who have each experienced name-calling and decide to run for student council on the platform of creating a “No Name Day” at school. Ever since, James Howe has continued to support the annual week-long event organized at all grade levels.

Thanks to our friends at Simon & Schuster, James Howe made a video to share with No Name-Calling Week participants and supporters. You can watch his message below.

ARE YOU PARTICIPATING? Let us know if No Name-Calling Week is taking place in your school by sending us a tweet or letting us know on Facebook.

We made it! No Name-Calling Week is now in full swing! 

Check out Let’s Get Real, a short film produced by GLSEN’s long-time organizational partner, GroundSpark. Let’s Get Real doesn’t sugarcoat the truth or feature adults lecturing kids about what to do when kids pick on them. Instead, it examines a variety of issues that lead to taunting and bullying, including racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, learning disabilities, religious differences, sexual harassment and others. The film not only gives a voice to targeted kids, but also to kids who do the bullying to find out why they lash out at their peers and how it makes them feel. The most heartening part of Let’s Get Real includes stories of youth who have mustered the courage to stand up for themselves or a classmate.

At GLSEN, we recommend this excellent short film to use with your students in grades 5 – 9. Let’s Get Real is widely hailed as one of the best tools for opening up meaningful, life-changing dialogue in schools today.

As a special offer for No Name Calling Week, GroundSpark is providing free streaming of Let’s Get Real the entire week. To obtain your free digital stream, just send an email to streamfree@groundspark.org saying “Let’s Get Real” NNCW 2012 in the subject line.

Three weeks after my oldest child started kindergarten, she threw a tantrum because I said “no” about something or other, and yelled, “Mama, you are a SISSY!” She clearly had little sense of the word’s meaning, but had learned in her brief elementary school career that this was one of the worst epithets she could hurl in anger.

Today, GLSEN is proud to embark on an exciting new phase of our work in K-12 schools. We have released a groundbreaking new study that looks at school climate in the elementary grades. Further, we have created a critical new resource for teachers in grades K-5 – in partnership with our friends at the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

In our new report, Playgrounds and Prejudice: Elementary School Climate in the United States, we learn that the kind of language my daughter learned in only three weeks is far too common in our elementary schools. Name-calling and bullying in elementary schools reinforce gender stereotypes and negative attitudes toward people based on their gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, race, religion or family composition. Students and teachers report frequent use of disparaging remarks like “retard” and “that’s so gay,” and half of the teachers surveyed report bullying as a “serious problem” among their students. Students who do not conform to traditional gender norms are at higher risk for bullying, and are less likely than their peers to feel safe at school.

Previous GLSEN research has already demonstrated the high cost of such bias as students get older — consider the fact that nearly 40% of LGBT students in middle school report having been physically assaulted at school. It is absolutely critical that respect for others be part of the curriculum from day one if we are to end bullying, harassment and violence among youth. This report shows how far we still have to go.

There is, however, some good news. Elementary school teachers are alert to the problems that students face. A large majority report that their schools are taking action in some way to try to address bullying and harassment. Students report that they have at least heard some of the right messages about mutual respect and the equality of boys and girls. However limited their impact may be, these steps represent a foundation for the additional action urgently needed .

To support elementary school teachers, principals and school staff ready to build on that foundation, GLSEN is releasing a major new resource: Ready, Set, Respect! GLSEN’s Elementary School Toolkit. Developed in partnership with NAESP and NAEYC – leaders in the field of elementary school education - Ready, Set, Respect! is part professional development and part curricular resource with lesson plans for addressing bullying and bias-based remarks, gender and inclusion of LGBT people in family diversity.

Awareness of the unacceptable price of prejudice is growing, as is the will to clear the path for a healthy and happy life for every child. I will do everything in my power to ensure that my daughters are free to thrive and follow that path. I hope you will join me and all of my GLSEN colleagues in the ongoing effort to ensure that every child is free to be their happiest, healthiest and best self.

Dr. Eliza Byard Executive Director

Dr. King’s very last sermon, delivered in 1968, was a meditation on “the Drum Major Instinct”: a desire to lead, to be first, to be praised, and to make a mark on the world. (You can find the full text of this sermon here, along with the audio file, if you really want to give yourself goose bumps.) Dr. King argued that we all have this instinct, which can rightfully be condemned when it leads to destructive, selfish behavior. But it is a natural instinct, Dr. King went on, present in everyone, that can be the source of great change and true greatness when it is harnessed through service and love. Contemplating his own legacy in the sermon’s conclusion (eerily close to the hour of his own assassination), Dr. King said “If you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness.”

Robert Champion, Jr. was an actual drum major in one of the most celebrated marching bands of the HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). Friends and family say that he was a crusader against the hazing that is such a central and dangerous part of the marching band experience at HBCUs. His own success as a leader within the band was a testament to the possibility that one could rise through the ranks without submitting to the degrading rituals invented by band leaders to test emerging candidates. Champion was, apparently, in line to become head drum major for the Marching 100. And he was gay. Today a painful set of inquiries seek to determine what role each of these factors played in the intense beating that led to his death.

Champion sought to be a leader, and to lead the way to a more just system within the band by resisting violent and artificial rituals. A drum major for justice. A central purpose of our work at GLSEN from the beginning – and a pillar of our current strategic plan – is to support emerging student leaders and to ensure that leadership opportunities throughout the K-12 school years are open to all students, whether they are straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual and/or transgender. And we seek to break the cycle of learned hatred and violence directed at LGBT people that some of Champion’s fellow students may have channeled into the beating that led to his death. Each year, we meet and support a new group of emerging Drum Majors for Justice who decide to channel their instinct into GSA leadership or other acts of brave service, some as simple as staying silent on the Day of Silence or speaking out during Ally Week or expressing their aspirations for a better future through artistic expression during No Name-Calling Week.

We at GLSEN hope you will take a moment to sign NBJC’s petition (at www.nbjc.org ) so that the facts regarding Robert Champion, Jr.’s death will come to light. And take a moment to reflect on the work and leadership of the remarkable student leaders like Robert whose efforts we support, and whose work is going to change the world. Thank you as a GLSEN supporter for all that you do to make our work possible, and to ensure that the arc of the moral universe does indeed bend toward justice.

Warmest regards, and many thanks.
Eliza

Friday through Sunday GLSEN staff and volunteers will be leading a number of workshops – on our research, our best practices for youth/adult work, safe schools policy work, and the Day of Silence. You can also find GLSEN staff and volunteers at our table in the exhibition hall. If you’re going to be at the conference, please stop by our presentations to learn more about the work you can do or come by our display to say hi. We’d love to see you!

If you haven’t registered yet – sign up now at www.creatingchange.org.

Schools Focus: How you can make schools safer for all!
Thursday, January 26

Are you a youth or adult interested in making a difference in the schools in your community? Come to this day-long institute to learn about the current state of LGBT issues in schools across the country and what you can do to make a difference. Whether you interact daily with a school community or are an interested bystander who wants to get involved, we’ll share tools for you to advocate for and implement effective evidence-based interventions at the state and local level both personally and by providing information and resources to others. Appropriate for any who are interested in safer schools – whether you’ve been doing the work already for years or are just preparing to dive in. (If you’re more experienced, please be prepared to share some of your best practices in discussion sessions.) Organized and presented by GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network.

The Task Force Lobby Day
Thursday, January 26

The Task Force Lobby Day will be an incredible way to participate in the political process and to make our voices heard by congressional members. This will give grassroots and community activists a stimulating opportunity to help create change at the federal level.

We will explain why workplace fairness, safe schools and anti-violence services are tremendous concerns for LGBT people. The “How to Effectively Lobby Your Member of Congress” portion of the day will include message training on the legislation and role-play visits to give participants a chance to practice messages. Thousands of everyday people will share their stories to persuade their Members of Congress to support and co-sponsor inclusive-and-focused LGBT legislation. We encourage individuals of all experience levels to sign up for Lobby Day. First-time citizen lobbyists are welcome and encouraged! We will board buses from Baltimore and have lunch on the road to Washington, DC.

Federal Efforts to Achieve Safer Schools
Saturday, January 28 – 6:30 – 7:30 pm

This workshop will examine current federal efforts around safe schools legislation, specifically related to anti-bullying and anti-harassment legislation. The importance of such legislation will be discussed, as well as current status, likely legislative vehicles, and the role participants can play in advocating for legislation to create safe schools.

2-4-6-8 Get Ready to Evaluate!: Practical Program Evaluation for the LGBT Activist
Saturday, January 28 – 10:45 am – 12:15 pm

This workshop will introduce common evaluation concepts, provide strategies to help you assess your work, and explore how sharing your evaluation findings can help further the LGBTQ movement. Participants will gain practice using evaluation tools and explore cost-effective, feasible ways to evaluate your activities.

Day of Silence Session
Saturday, January 28 – 10:45 am – 12:15 pm

Calling all K-12 student organizers and adult allies! Come learn about and prepare for the National Day of Silence, the largest annual LGBT-student action in the country, designed to bring attention to and action against anti-LGBT bias, bullying and harassment in K-12 schools! Participants will leave the workshop with a thorough understanding of the action and how to successfully implement it in their school and/or community.

Today we were excited to learn that Changing the Game: GLSEN Sports Project Director Pat Griffin and NCLR’s Sport Project Director Helen Carroll were named the 2011 Persons of the Year by Outsports’ readers.

Readers of the the popular LGBT sports publication cast a whopping 53% of their votes to both long-time activists. Other finalists included High School LGBT sports bloggers and ‘It Gets Better’ teams tying at 11%. Rick Welts (a GLSEN 2011 Respect Awards honoree) and the Golden State Warriors earned 10% of the vote followed by  Sean Avery at 9% and Anton Hysen at 7%.

Shortly after the news, GLSEN contacted Pat to congratulate her on the honor. She shared:

I am so honored to receive this recognition and happy that it brings attention to the GLSEN Sports Project. Making sports safe and respectful for LGBT participants has been my professional passion for several years and being recognized for this work feels really great. I am especially happy to share the honor with my friend and colleague, Helen Carroll.

“No one has done more for the equality of LGBT athletes over the last 30 years than Pat and Helen. No one.” – Outsports.com co-founder Cyd Zeigler

In 2011, Pat joined GLSEN to launch Changing the Game, an education and advocacy initiative focused on addressing LGBT issues in K-12 school-based athletic and physical education programs. Helen serves as an advisory member of the GLSEN project. She is Professor Emeritus in the Social Justice Education Program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the former Director of It Takes A Team! Educational Campaign for LGBT Issues in Sport, an initiative of the Women’s Sports Foundation. She is also an accomplished author and speaker on LGBT issues in athletics.

Both Pat and Helen have extensively worked together. The duo was responsible for the groundbreaking NCAA policy focused on the inclusion of transgender-student athletes.

Helen currently heads NCLR’s Sports Project working closely with major national sports organizations including the San Francisco 49ers, the Women’s Sports Foundation and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Some of her past accomplishments include serving as a national championship basketball coach for the University of North Carolina-Asheville and had been a NCAA Athletic Director for 12 years.

GLSEN reached out to Helen for her reaction to the news. This is what Helen had to say about being named “Person of the Year” alongside her colleague Pat:

It is an honor to be recognized by Outsports and their readers, especially considering the group of strong and courageous nominees. Teaming up with Pat Griffin and establishing a strong collaboration between the  NCLR Sports Project and GLSEN’s Changing the Game, I feel, has been instrumental in the work we have accomplished. We will continue to strive to make the sports world an accepting and inclusive place for all LGBT people.

Outsports.com co-founder Cyd Zeigler had this to say about today’s announcement:

 No one has done more for the equality of LGBT athletes over the last 30 years than Pat and Helen. No one. We at Outsports consider them the two most under-appreciated and under-recognized people in the movement. Their work has touched people of every race, gender and age, regardless of sexual orientation. In 2011 they yet again demonstrated their deep commitment to equality and their willingness to do the tough work without the headlines. They are also incredibly nice, warm, giving women. If the rest of us did just a fraction of the good work these two women have done for decades, we wouldn’t be fighting these fights anymore.

GLSEN is proud of the lasting contributions both women have made in the world of sports on behalf of all LGBT athletes. Their lasting contributions over the past 30+ years continue to be felt by many. GLSEN is fortunate to work alongside both women through Changing the Game in making sure that future generations of LGBT athletes are treated with dignity and respect in schools across the country.

Interested in teaming up with Pat and Helen at Changing the Game?

Get your school’s sports teams involved with our Team Respect Challenge! Visit our website to download the pledge and learn how your school’s team can gain a winning edge.

Barnes & Noble Announces January is “No Name-Calling Month”

 Barnes & Noble Partners  with Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) for the Second Year to Raise Awareness on Bullying

New York, New York – January 4, 2011 –Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, today announced plans to once again recognize January as “No Name-Calling Month” in its stores and online at Barnes & Noble.com.  Now in its second year, the month-long campaign is aimed at bringing attention to the national problem of name-calling and bullying of all kinds.  Barnes & Noble stores across the country will bring awareness to “No Name-Calling Month” by placing “No Name-Calling” signage in various locations, and hosting a national Storytime event and other activities. Barnes & Noble.com will feature exclusive video content from bestselling children’s, young adult and adult authors discussing their thoughts and experiences on bullying.  Barnes & Noble has partnered with Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), creators of No Name-Calling Week in schools, in this effort to stop bullying.

“Barnes & Noble is pleased to be partnering with Simon & Schuster and GLSEN in this important effort to bring awareness to the seriousness of name-calling, teasing, bullying and cyberbullying,” said Mary Amicucci, vice president of Children’s Books for Barnes & Noble.

“Barnes & Noble is pleased to be partnering with Simon & Schuster and GLSEN in this important effort to bring awareness to the seriousness of name-calling, teasing, bullying and cyberbullying,” said Mary Amicucci, vice president of Children’s Books for Barnes & Noble. “Barnes & Noble has always provided parents, teachers and children with books, magazines and other materials, as well as in-store activities, that engage people in on-going dialogues and inspire ways to communicate with one another.  This campaign is just one more way we can help.”

“GLSEN is honored that Barnes & Noble is a returning partner for No Name-Calling Week,” said GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard. “Barnes & Noble has been a tremendous supporter for this annual event that aims to address name-calling and bullying in our schools. We are thankful for their commitment to share the message of respect for difference to students, parents and educators across the country.”

“We are extremely proud to have co-founded No Name-Calling Week with GLSEN eight years ago and we are delighted that Barnes & Noble has joined us once again to help spread the ever important message of acceptance and respect to thousands of students, parents, and educators across the country,” said Michelle Fadlalla, Director of Marketing, Education & Library for Simon & Schuster.

First launched in March 2004, No Name-Calling Week was developed in a partnership between GLSEN and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. The campaign was inspired by the young adult novel, The Misfits by James Howe, which tells the story of four best friends who, tired of the constant teasing in their middle school, decide to run for student government on a No Name-Calling platform.

During No Name-Calling Month, stores will host Barnes & Noble Educator Appreciation Week from January 14 through January 22. Stores will have No Name-Calling materials available for teachers and educators including book recommendations, tip sheets for organizing No Name-Calling events, lesson plans for elementary and middle school students, bracelets, classroom posters and buttons for educators to use in their classrooms.

Barnes & Noble.com will feature:

• A No Name-Calling page (www.bn.com/noname).
• B&N Kids Expert Circle articles with tips and advice on how to deal with bullying (www.bn.com/expertcircle).
• E-mails regarding No Name-Calling events and special savings offers.
• Exclusive video content from bestselling children’s, teen and adult authors including Hilary Duff, Richard Paul Evans, Lisa McMann, Laurie Halse Anderson, Ellen Hopkins, Margaret Peterson Haddix and Sarah Pekkanen.  The authors will discuss their thoughts on and experiences with bullying.

As part of this campaign, GLSEN will also produce a National No Name-Calling Creative Expression Exhibit, in which students can submit any type of artistic expression that relates to their experiences with or ideas of bullying.  Over the years, thousands of students nationwide have submitted a variety of poems, stories, essays, drawings, collages, sculptures and songs.  More information about past submissions, as well as about the No Name-Calling Week campaign can be found at www.nonamecallingweek.org and in Barnes & Noble stores.

Simon & Schuster has created a No-Name Calling page (http://pages.simonandschuster.com/nonamecalling/) for parents, teachers, and librarians featuring recommended books, discussion guides, anti-bullying videos from bestselling authors, and a chat board.

About Barnes & Noble, Inc.
Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS), the world’s largest bookseller and a Fortune 500 company, operates 703 bookstores in 50 states. Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Barnes & Noble, also operates 637 college bookstores serving over 4.6 million students and faculty members at colleges and universities across the United States.  Barnes & Noble conducts its online business through BN.com (www.bn.com), one of the Web’s largest e-commerce sites, which also features more than two million titles in its NOOK Bookstore™ (www.bn.com/ebooks). Through Barnes & Noble’s NOOK™ eReading product offering, customers can buy and read digital books and content on the widest range of platforms, including NOOK devices, partner company products, and the most popular mobile and computing devices using free NOOK software.

General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained via the Internet by visiting the company’s corporate website: www.barnesandnobleinc.com.  Follow Barnes & Noble on Twitter (www.bn.com/twitter), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/barnesandnoble) and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/bnstudio).

About Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, one of the leading children’s book publishers in the world, is comprised of the following imprints: Aladdin, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Beach Lane Books, Libros para niños, Little Simon^®, Little Simon Inspirations™, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Simon Pulse, and Simon Spotlight^®. While maintaining an extensive award-winning backlist, the division continues to publish acclaimed and bestselling books for children of all ages. In addition to numerous Caldecott, Newbery, and National Book Award winners, Simon & Schuster publishes such high-profile properties and series as Eloise, Olivia, Raggedy Ann & Andy™, Henry & Mudge^®, The Hardy Boys^®, Nancy Drew^®, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts^®,Nickelodeon’s^® Dora the Explorer^®, Blue’s Clues^® and SpongeBob SquarePants^®, and Mirage studios’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles™. For more information about Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, visit our website at KIDS.SimonandSchuster.com

Simon & Schuster, a part of  CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Digital, and international companies in Australia, Canada, India and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at SimonandSchuster.com

About GLSEN
GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. Established in 1990, GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. GLSEN seeks to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes to creating a more vibrant and diverse community. For information on GLSEN’s research, educational resources, public policy advocacy, student organizing programs and educator training initiatives, visit www.glsen.org.

###