Students from Watchung Hills Regional High School in New Jersey hosted a citywide event called White-Out to Erase Bullying. Students, teachers, residents, and even civic leaders participated by wearing white to make a simple yet powerful message against bullying. Watch the Not In Our School short film about this inspiring activity [1].
After the White-Out, students reflected on the event and its impact. Here are four perspectives from Watchung students.
“We all have a desire to initiate change in our communities, and at Watchung Hills, it is always stressed that we not only be good students, but we push ourselves to be upstanders in our school and our towns. We heard about the White-Out idea from our teachers and we immediately jumped at the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.”—Catherine, junior
“One little kid, when asked what he will do to stop bullying, said with the most enthusiasm, ‘We will speak up, stand up, and UNITE to stop hate!’ It just made all the difference hearing that… Something that really surprised me about the White-Out was the amount of supporters we had accumulated throughout the event and how one group of kids and teachers could bring the entire community together.”—Andrew, freshman
“A large part of the success of this movement came from its core idea: end hate. In some way, shape, or form, we all have been affected by bullying. Whether we were bullied, bullied others, or acted as a bystander, we all have a connection to the theme, which gave everyone a personal reason to get involved.” —Monica, senior
"Overall, this experience has been life-changing… Visiting the elementary schools and seeing the students there yelling, ‘Not In Our School’ really makes me feel accomplished. If we can teach elementary schools that bullying is bad, there is a good chance that they will not bully other kids as they get older. The younger kids learn the harmful effects of bullying, the better. This experience has truly been unforgettable. I'm so excited to do it again next year." —Allison, freshman
Make your school and community safer with an anti-bullying campaign. Plan a White-Out to Erase Bullying event at your school with this lesson plan [2] and student created activity guide [3], as well as the Not In Our School Anti-Bullying Quick Start Guide. [4]
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