Dallas Addresses Bullying with In-School Program

The Dallas Police Department's Blue in the School program aims to equip students with life skills to navigate difficult life decisions, with support from the Dallas Independent School District, Verizon and CONTACT.

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Verizon Wireless

May 28, 2014, 07:12 ET

DALLAS, May 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dallas Police Department, working with the Dallas Independent School District, Verizon and CONTACT, concluded the Blue in the School program with a closing celebration May 29 at Wilmer Hutchins Elementary School.

The Blue in the School program began on Oct. 7 in 14 Dallas ISD elementary schools, before expanding to an additional 14 Dallas ISD elementary schools in the second semester. The program provides life skills to 4^th-grade students to help them navigate through life's difficult choices and become the leaders of tomorrow.

The program includes a four-week curriculum, covers six pillars of character and is taught by Dallas police officers. The six pillars are respect, trustworthiness, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.

Dallas Police Chief David Brown said that the program aims to "prevent negative behaviors among students by developing and implementing specifically tailored, age-appropriate curriculum to instill life-long skills for healthy decision-making, problem-solving, negative peer pressure reversal, conflict management and character development."

Verizon is partnering with CONTACT, a local crisis support organization, to present the respect pillar in two of the selected schools. Their focus is on bullying prevention.

Each of the schools will also participate in a HopeLine drive throughout the Blue in the School program. HopeLine, a national program at Verizon, collects used cell phones from any wireless carrier to be recycled or donated to domestic violence agencies. Wilmer Hutchins Elementary School collected the most devices for HopeLine and won a class party and celebration from Verizon. Every student from the 14 participating schools will receive a certificate of participation and a small token from Verizon.

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SOURCE Verizon Wireless