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Bullying Is Dangerous!
January 5, 2011
PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TEXARKANA, TX - Vertical Alliance Group, Inc. (VAG) (www.verticalag.com) a nationally recognized leader in online safety training and consultation, announced today that its SafePUPIL School Bus Safety Training Program will host nationally renowned author and bullying expert Jodee Blanco for its January Best Practices Webinar on Friday, January 14 at 11AM CST. SafePUPIL is a product of Vertical School Partners, L.P., a limited partnership owned by Vertical Alliance Group
Survivor, expert and activist Jodee Blanco is one of the country’s pre-eminent voices on the subject of school bullying. She is the author of The New York Times bestseller, Please Stop Laughing At Me . . . One Woman’s Inspirational Story, and its award winning sequel, Please Stop Laughing at Us . . . One Survivor’s Extraordinary Quest to Prevent School Bullying (BenBella Books).
Please Stop Laughing At Me is a chronicle of her years as the student outcast, inspired a movement inside the nation’s schools and swiftly became an American classic. Referred to by many as “the anti-bullying bible,” it is required reading in hundreds of middle and high schools and numerous universities throughout the country. Please Stop Laughing at Me . . . has also been recognized as an essential resource by The National Crime Prevention Council, The Department of Health & Human Services, the National Association of Youth Courts, Special Olympics, The FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America), Teacher Magazine and hundreds of state and local organizations from the PTA and regional law enforcement coalitions to school safety groups.
Please Stop Laughing at Us was written in response to the demand for more information from her core audience—teens, teachers, parents and other Adult Survivors of Peer Abuse like herself, who have come to know Blanco as the champion of their cause. It provides advice and solutions set against the backdrop of her dramatic personal and professional journey as the survivor who unexpectedly finds herself the country’s most sought-after anti- bullying activist.
In addition to her books, Blanco’s unprecedented approach to shifting the social dynamic of America’s schools is saving lives and making headlines throughout the United States. She’s presented It’s NOT Just Joking Around™!, her acclaimed anti-bullying program, to a combined audience of over five-hundred thousand students, teachers and parents nationwide at the behest of such entities as The United States Department of Interior, The United States Department of Justice, The National Catholic Educational Association, The Illinois Association of School Boards and scores of local school districts, many of whom are adopting her initiatives as part of their core bullying prevention curriculum. It’s NOT Just Joking Around™! has also generated tens of thousands of dollars in grant awards for schools and organizations coast to coast.
Blanco has successfully intervened in numerous bullying related attempted suicides and acts of student retaliation. She is a respected crisis management consultant and expert witness in the areas of school violence and peer abuse, and is frequently called upon by the media as an expert interview. Some of the outlets who have turned to her for commentary include Newsweek, USA Today (front page story), CNN, NBC, FOX, “The Joy Behar Show”, “The John Walsh Show” and National Public Radio. She is the go-to expert on bullying related breaking stories for HLN’s “Prime News with Mike Galanos,” “Issues with Jane Velez Mitchell”, “Nancy Grace,” among many other of the nation’s top news shows. Blanco has bylined articles for CNN.com (front page), was the focus of an in-depth front-page Q&A on Oprah.com, and her life story has been featured in Parade, Teen Newsweek, USA TODAY, Teen Guideposts, Hispanic, The Chicago Tribune, The St. Petersburg Times, hundreds of local daily newspapers across the United States and is part of a permanent exhibit at the Chicago National Historical Society.
A tireless advocate for the shunned and forgotten student, Blanco’s rare understanding of why kids abuse other kids comes from a deep personal place. From fifth grade through the end of high school, she was rejected and tormented by her peers simply for being different and knows first-hand what it’s like to contemplate retaliation. As an adult, she decided to go public with her story because she was frustrated by society’s misconceptions about the true cause of the school tragedies such as the Columbine shooting, the Phoebe Prince suicide, and countless other examples that put into stark light the tragic consequences of school bullying.
Since the release of her two books, Blanco has committed her life to turning her pain into purpose. Inspired by the thousands of letters and requests she receives for help, she travels around the country sharing her story of forgiveness and triumph. One of the most sought-after keynote speakers and seminar presenters, Blanco’s anti-bullying initiatives are redefining the scope of possibilities for curbing suffering in our schools worldwide.
VAG spokesperson Kirk Lohse said that, “SafePUPIL is very pleased to be able to host Ms. Blanco this month and we sincerely appreciate her taking the time out of her busy schedule to address this VERY important issue with the hundreds of SafePUPIL schools across the country. This is a webinar that no one using our program will want to miss.”
Again the webinar is scheduled for 11AM CST, Friday, January 14. To register your attendance at the webinar, or to learn more about SafePUPIL and the many training programs it offers, please call Training Consultant Jennifer Stark, at 877-792-3866, 109.
Ms. Blanco’s website is: www.jodeeblanco.com, and information on how to book an appearance or purchase her books is available on her site. |