Lancaster, CA continues Not In Our School campaign into its 3rd year! 
The city of Lancaster, CA, where a segment of our PBS documentary Not In Our Town: Class Actions [1] was filmed, is in their third year of a community-wide NIOS Campaign! Students, teachers, and board members all participated in the Nov. 13 city council meeting to sign a proclamation against bullying in schools, according to the Antelope Valley Times [2]. They signed banners renewing their pledge against bullying and promised to be upstanders whenever they see bullying occur. We are excited to watch the campaign’s continued success Lancaster!
Judi Freeman, winner of Facing History’s Upstanders Competition
Judi Freeman, an educator from Boston, MA who has taught extraordinary lessons in morality and justice, is this year’s winner of the Facing History Upstanders [3] competition! A student who lost their father explained how Ms. Freeman helped them in the grieving process, saying “Ms. Freeman taught me to understand the suffering others experienced and to use my grief as a bridge to connect myself to them.” Judi will receive a $5,000 grant to further her work as an educator and continue to impact the lives of her students. Congratulations, Judi!
“Money Bullying” and How to Handle It 
“Money Bullying” is a type of bullying that involves financial pressure rather than harmful taunts or physical violence, according to this article in the Huffington Post [4]. This type of bullying can go unnoticed by parents because it is often done by friends in social situations, such as being forced to buy a gift for their friend they cannot afford, or pay the entire bill for an expensive meal. Victims of money bullying feel guilty when they cannot meet their friends’ financial requests and are afraid of losing their friends if they refuse.
It is important for parents to help their child realize that true friends will not pressure him or her to pay for them. It is nice to treat friends once in awhile, but it is also okay to say no. Bullying is wrong in all forms and should not be tolerated. It is important for someone who is a victim of money bullying to stand up to the bully and establish a sense of control and self-worth.
Stopbullying.gov Video Contest
The submissions are in for StopBullying.gov’s video contest and there are only a few days left to vote! The finalist videos were all created by middle and high school students, each with a unique and thoughtful perspective on bullying prevention. You can watch the video entries on their contest webpage [5] and vote for your favorites. The winner will receive a grand prize of $2,000 and two Honorable Mentions will receive prizes of $500.
Rosalind Wiseman: The Need for Community Role Models
Rosalind Wiseman, author of “Queen Bees,” a guidebook to the world of girl bullying for parents, was the keynote speaker at the Iowa Bullying Prevention Summit in November. Rosalind believes that bullying prevention is social justice and the whole community needs to be involved. She also highlights the importance of community role models to display appropriate behavior for teens, and urges teachers and administrators to become more involved. You can listen to her speech here [6].