Acts of Kindness Announces New Character Mascot for Anti-Bullying Campaign
News Release
December 1st, 2017
Pittsburgh- National anti-bullying organization announces new mascot to help fight and prevent bullying in elementary schools to be released in the coming 2018-2019 school year.
Acts of Kindness, a national anti-bullying organization based in Pittsburgh, announced a new addition to its team. Russell the Robin will help to kick start the organizations new campaign: Operation Take Flight. Russell is a bird who will be a key tool in elementary schools by spreading his moto “Fly above it!”
The new anti-bullying campaign will begin in August of 2018, at the beginning of most schools newest semester. The new campaign will include educational videos that will be distributed throughout all schools who have partnered with Acts of Kindness to eliminate bullying in their hallways. Russell will now be the main spokesperson for the new campaign, encouraging elementary students to prevent bullying by flying above unkind words and actions.
Allie Leng, the president of Acts of Kindness, expressed her excitement for the upcoming release of the character in schools. “We have been working real hard with our friend Russell to prep him for visiting these schools,” stated Leng, “We expect him to be very beneficial in the release of our new campaign, and hopefully he can help us make an impact against bullying in schools.”
Acts of Kindness is introducing this animated mascot as a tool to help attract more attention from the young, student audience. Characters have been proven to stand out and attract young viewers, helping them listen and understand a message better. Russell’s flying skill will also help resonate with children the importance of his message, “Fly above it,” which is the basic concept of the new campaign.
Russell’s slogan, “Fly above it,” is attached to the multiple ways elementary students can prevent bullying in their schools. Students will be taught to ignore unkind words and actions, but also to tell an adult when those phrases become too tough to fly away from.
This lesson, among others, will be taught in a series of educational videos and pamphlets that teachers will be given. The videos series includes 12 episodes. Depending on the success of the campaign, more videos may be created at a later date.
Each video will share a story of Russell and his friends who experience a situation that involves bullying. Russell and his friends will go through a three step process, taught in each video, to determine if the situation is bullying. After they have gone through the process, Russell will decide if they need to take action and talk to an adult, or fly above it.
This three step process is not new to Acts of Kindness. These steps, determined by Acts’ bullying speaker, expert and counselor, Dr. Allan Collins, are the most effective ways to teach young minds the signs of bullying.
These steps include:
Step 1: I see
Step 2: Identify
Step 3: I do
“Each step helps a child determine how to handle bullying,” stated Collins, “The process is simple enough for them to understand and remember.”
The steps remind children to pay attention to conflicts, identify if it is bullying, then act accordingly. Actions can involve anything from informing an adult, to flying above it.
“We’re not telling them to ignore what they see, “expressed Leng. “We want the children to take bullying seriously, and sometimes that means when someone says a mean thing, we fly above it.”
All educational videos come with coloring pamphlets, information guides and class activities, including additional scenarios teachers can bring up in class, and students can use the slogan and step process to determine if the scene is bullying or not.
Many teachers and school districts are excited of this new unveiling. Tom Kirden, a fourth grade school teacher at Thomas Jefferson Elementary in Chardon, Ohio, expressed how he will be using Russell in his classrooms. He noted Russell will be a great way to grab and keep students attention. "He's going to be really helpful in teaching these lessons," said Kirden, "and my students will love him!"
Russell, in addition to being featured in the campaigns educational content, will also be view-able on promotional material for the organization. T-shirts, hats, bags and other items will now adorn Russell the Robin’s smiling face. All promotional and educational content are available at actsofkindness.org.
Acts of Kindness:
Acts of Kindness is an anti-bullying organization founded in 2000. It’s founder, Emily Markewicz, began the foundation with the hopes of changing the social climate within her school system in Mars, PA. Her message has since grown into a mission to prevent bullying in classrooms. The organizations anti-bullying campaigns have been implemented in elementary schools across the United States. Through a series of educational videos and in-class worksheets, the steps to help prevent bullying is now available for schools to properly educate their students and make a true impact. Acts of Kindness believes making a difference starts with educating young minds.
