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- Mayor Lang Recognizes Safe Zones for their Efforts to Eliminate Bullying in New Bedford
Mayor Lang Recognizes Safe Zones for their Efforts to Eliminate Bullying in New Bedford
- By New Bedford Mayor's Office
- Published 05/25/2010
- Announcements & Press Releases
New Bedford, Massachusetts- At a press conference today Mayor Scott W. Lang recognized the Safe Zones organization for their efforts in educating New Bedford students in prevention and intervention techniques to eliminate bullying.
“It is extremely important to keep our children physically safe and psychologically healthy in our neighborhoods as well as in our school,” said Mayor Scott W. Lang. “Safe Zones and its anti-bullying mission is an important ally to the City government and its education based partners. We must do more as responsible adults to work with our students to ensure that they respect each other as individuals and fellow citizens of New Bedford.”
Safe Zones is a volunteer-led nonprofit organization created in 2007 by Jerry Pinto serving the New Bedford community. The mission of Safe Zones is to reduce and to eliminate occurrences of bullying and cyber-bullying among children and adolescents in and out of the school setting, through prevention and intervention methods and education programs. Safe Zones is dedicated to improving quality of life, building a sense of community, and ensuring a safe environment in our schools and neighborhoods for all children.
“Each of our volunteers has the passion to help make a difference in a child’s life,” expressed Mr. Pinto. “I’d like to thank all of the people who have taken the time to volunteer and who “Dare to Care” for the safety of our community.”
Since 2007, the Safe Zones program has educated students at both the Keith and Normandin Middle Schools during the Citizen Schools afterschool Apprenticeship Program, where members of the community teach students different skills to help them succeed in school and beyond. The initiative has engaged students in the City of New Bedford’s Saturday Academy program, the YWCA, the Phillips Avenue Elementary School, and District Attorney Sam Sutter’s Annual Family Fun Day Event.
Over the past three years, Safe Zones has worked with state legislators including Senator Mark Montigny, Representative Antonio F.D. Cabral, and Representative Stephen Canessa to change the state’s bullying laws to better serve the Commonwealth. On May 3, 2010, Governor Deval Patrick signed anti-bullying legislation to strengthen efforts in schools across Massachusetts to ensure a safe learning environment for all children. The legislation utilizes new strategies for adults, new supports for students, and better communications among state agencies to prevent, report and effectively address issues related to bullying.
“It is extremely important to keep our children physically safe and psychologically healthy in our neighborhoods as well as in our school,” said Mayor Scott W. Lang. “Safe Zones and its anti-bullying mission is an important ally to the City government and its education based partners. We must do more as responsible adults to work with our students to ensure that they respect each other as individuals and fellow citizens of New Bedford.”
Safe Zones is a volunteer-led nonprofit organization created in 2007 by Jerry Pinto serving the New Bedford community. The mission of Safe Zones is to reduce and to eliminate occurrences of bullying and cyber-bullying among children and adolescents in and out of the school setting, through prevention and intervention methods and education programs. Safe Zones is dedicated to improving quality of life, building a sense of community, and ensuring a safe environment in our schools and neighborhoods for all children.
“Each of our volunteers has the passion to help make a difference in a child’s life,” expressed Mr. Pinto. “I’d like to thank all of the people who have taken the time to volunteer and who “Dare to Care” for the safety of our community.”
Since 2007, the Safe Zones program has educated students at both the Keith and Normandin Middle Schools during the Citizen Schools afterschool Apprenticeship Program, where members of the community teach students different skills to help them succeed in school and beyond. The initiative has engaged students in the City of New Bedford’s Saturday Academy program, the YWCA, the Phillips Avenue Elementary School, and District Attorney Sam Sutter’s Annual Family Fun Day Event.
Over the past three years, Safe Zones has worked with state legislators including Senator Mark Montigny, Representative Antonio F.D. Cabral, and Representative Stephen Canessa to change the state’s bullying laws to better serve the Commonwealth. On May 3, 2010, Governor Deval Patrick signed anti-bullying legislation to strengthen efforts in schools across Massachusetts to ensure a safe learning environment for all children. The legislation utilizes new strategies for adults, new supports for students, and better communications among state agencies to prevent, report and effectively address issues related to bullying.
