Boys & Girls Clubs Alum and R&B Star Ne-Yo Helps Cartoon Network Encourage Millions to STOP BULLYING: SPEAK UP in Support of National Bullying Prevention Awareness Day

ATLANTA, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- With the help of singer/songwriter Ne-Yo, Cartoon Network, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.), and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) will recognize National Bullying Prevention Awareness Day and distribute more than 4,000 Bullying Prevention Kits to Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation.  The kits are a key part of the network's on-air and online STOP BULLYING: SPEAK UP campaign to raise awareness and empower youth to take action to reduce bullying.

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Ne-Yo, Cartoon Network President and Chief Operating Officer Stuart Snyder and BGCA Vice President Frank Sanchez led a group discussion with BGCA members at the James Boys & Girls Club in North Las Vegas.  An intimate group of teen members gathered for the dynamic discussion as Ne-Yo returned to his Las Vegas "home club" and spoke out against the bullying epidemic by sharing his experiences with bullying and conveying to kids tips to prevent bullying in their own lives.  Ne-Yo and Snyder introduced the first of the Bullying Prevention Kits that will be distributed to Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide today.  Club staff and leaders can use the kit as an educational and teaching tool.  Each kit comes with DVD copies of Bullying: No Escape: an Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees Special Report with PEOPLE Magazine and Cartoon Network, posters and tip sheets.

"Through the distribution of thousands of Bullying Prevention Kits, we are hoping the multi-platform STOP BULLYING: SPEAK UP campaign will reach the roughly 4.2 million kids served by the Boys & Girls Clubs annually," commented Snyder.  "We are sincerely thrilled that Ne-Yo and BGCA are able to join with us in this outreach and implement tactical steps to reduce bullying in this country."

In addition to the Bullying Prevention Kits, Club members were encouraged to visit the cornerstone of the initiative's online platform, the dedicated micro-site—www.StopBullyingSpeakUp.com.  The micro-site features a STOP BULLYING: SPEAK UP pledge, social network hyperlinks, tip sheets, digital bulletin board, community rewards and a section devoted exclusively to educating parents on bullying prevention.  Tools from partners, such as the Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) No Place for Hate, a free series of seminars for schools; A World of Difference®, a formal school curriculum; and Cyber ALLY, which teaches kids to be an ally to victims of digital bullying, will be available on the micro-site.  Other participating partners include Project Change, a peer mentoring program for middle and elementary school children, and the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Service's Health Resource Service Administration (HRSA).  

For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org) has enabled young people, especially those who need Clubs most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.  Today, some 4,000 Boys & Girls Clubs serve more than 4.2 million young people through Club membership and community outreach.  Clubs can be found throughout the country and on U.S. military installations worldwide, providing young people 6-18 years old with guidance-oriented character development programs conducted by trained, professional staff.  Key programs emphasize leadership development; education and career exploration; community service; technology training; financial literacy; health and life skills; the arts; sports, fitness and recreation; and family outreach.  In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.

Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com), currently seen in more than 97 million U.S. homes and 166 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s ad-supported cable service now available in HD offering the best in original, acquired and classic entertainment for youth and families.  Nightly from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. (ET, PT), Cartoon Network shares its channel space with Adult Swim, a late-night destination showcasing original and acquired animated and live-action series for young adults 18-34.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

SOURCE Cartoon Network