Funding for Anti-Bullying Program Announced

The Holocaust Center has just received word that the Community Foundation of Central Florida has approved a $75,900 grant for our new anti-bullying initiative. The project, created in partnership with numerous community groups including the public school districts in Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties, the Diocese of Orlando, UCF Office of Diversity Initiatives, and Equality Florida, will begin in Orange County schools in December.

The project, Make My School a Bully-Free Zone, will be funded through the Community Investment Funds of the Community Foundation, a public grantmaking organization that advances local philanthropy. Established in 1994, to date it has provided more than $21 million in support for local causes. Community Investment funds are created through the generosity of numerous individuals, families and corporations, and benefit a substantial number of programs in Central Florida.

Pam Kancher, Executive Director of the Holocaust Center, said that this grant will have a major impact on the initiative. “As a small agency, this grant award will enable us to pursue our initiative with fewer distractions. The Community Foundation’s investment in this new project makes our goals much more attainable,” she said.

Make My School a Bully-Free Zone is geared toward students who are neither bullies nor victims. Research has shown that one of the most effective interventions in bullying is peer pressure: instead of being bystanders, students can learn to interrupt confrontations and to stand up for the targets of bullies.