Why does my school need Project TRUST?

What Project TRUST provides for a district

Dr. Jim Boland works with high school students on leadership skills at a counselor training

• A preventative program that works to end bullying in your school
• Training for middle school staff and administrators on proactively handling bullying
• The development of positive student leaders who go through the program
• Incredible leadership experience for high school students, trained as counselors, who receive training in working with middle school students on a variety of different issues

Why should my school worry about bullying?

Bullying is a serious problem facing many students. Although it used to be considered a part of growing up, research has now shown that bullying causes very serious emotional problems for victims. Our schools should be working towards educating the whole child, and that should include social and emotional growth, as well as intellectual growth. Schools cannot afford to have their students develop emotional problems that have, tragically, been a part of some school shootings and dozens of suicides in the last year.

Don’t buy the argument that we need to help students develop socially and emotionally? Well, bullying also has effects on academic success. Every day, throughout the country, 160,000 students miss school because of bullying(National Education Association). With increased focus on testing and achievement in schools, every district should be worried about their students missing valuable class time. Students will have a difficult time succeeding in science and math when they are staying home because they feel unsafe in schools.