[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 28, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E123-E124]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        BRINGING ATTENTION TO ERADICATING THE BULLYING EPIDEMIC

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 28, 2014

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the Founder and Chairman of 
the Congressional Anti-Bullying Caucus to bring attention to the Be a 
STAR (Show Tolerance and Respect) Alliance, an anti-bullying initiative 
co-founded in 2011 by The Creative Coalition and WWE to encourage young 
people to treat each other with tolerance and respect through education 
and grassroots initiatives. WWE and The Creative Coalition leverage the 
power of The Creative Coalition's entertainment industry constituencies 
and WWE's global brand and platforms to help combat the bullying 
epidemic plaguing today's youth. This month, for the first time ever, 
Be a STAR awarded five grants totaling $125,000 to outstanding non-
profit public charities that develop and implement anti-bullying 
programs.
   The five grantees of the inaugural Be a STAR grant program are:
   The Armory Foundation, New York, NY: The Armory Foundation, a NYC 
non-profit, services more than 125,000 athletes and is home to the 
premier indoor track and field center in the United States. The Be a 
STAR grant will help fund the Armory College Prep's Fair Play Program, 
which reaches more than 300 students in public high schools in New York 
City, New Jersey and Westchester. The grant will also provide training 
for The Armory Foundation's

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staff, who will ensure that Be a STAR's lesson plans are integrated 
effectively into the program's workshops.
   Blue Star Families, Inc., Falls Church, VA: Blue Star serves more 
than 10,000 military families in 70 locations around the world by 
supporting, connecting and empowering families through chapter-based 
programs. The Be a STAR grant will help fund MilKidz Clubs, which 
connects military kids--regardless of rank, branch of service or 
military installation--and provides them the resources, mentoring and 
opportunity to become the next wave of leaders in their communities. 
Approximately 1.5 million military children are enrolled in United 
States schools with the average military family moving about every two 
years. As a result, approximately 750,000 children of military families 
are the ``new kid'' each year in their school. In order to help these 
children, MilKidz will integrate Be a STAR resources into its after-
school activities and incorporate Be a STAR's nine lesson plans, 
including Courage, Responsibility, Dignity, Friendship, Advocacy, 
Resiliency, Empathy, Identity and Morality into its monthly meetings.
   Do Something, New York, NY: Do Something is one of the largest non-
profit organizations in the United States that creates opportunities 
for young people to participate in causes that combat bullying, animal 
cruelty, homelessness and cancer. The Be a STAR grant will be used to 
help fund Do Something's ``Bully Text'' mobile platform. ``Bully Text'' 
is a digital experience where kids encounter different bullying 
scenarios and learn how to respond in various ways. According to Do 
Something's 2012 ``The Bully Report'', cyber bullying is the most 
pervasive type of bullying with 70 percent of students reporting 
frequent bullying online and 35 percent reporting bullying through 
texting.
   East LA Boys & Girls Club (BGCELA), Los Angeles, CA: The mission of 
BGCELA is to enable all young people and their families to realize 
their full potential as productive, healthy, caring and responsible 
individuals through life-enhancing programs. The Be a STAR grant will 
support and fund parent workshops and training taught by local anti-
bullying experts during National Bullying Prevention Month. Videos from 
the Be a STAR resource guide will be shown and discussed using the Be a 
STAR Student Activity Sheets and students will be taught Be a STAR's 
nine lesson plans.
   National Voices for Equality, Education and Enlightenment (NVEEE), 
Fort Lauderdale, FL: NVEEE is a community-based non-profit whose 
mission is to prevent bullying, violence and suicide among youth, 
families and communities through direct service, mentoring and 
prevention education. The Be a STAR grant will fund the Peace 
Ambassadors program, which serves approximately 7,000 students in Ft. 
Lauderdale who will participate in tailored workshops that have 
integrated Be a STAR resources and training. The Peace Ambassador 
program is a leadership program comprised of students who serve as 
advocates and leaders to prevent bullying, suicide and violence in 
their schools and communities. Additionally, through the support of the 
Be a STAR grant, NVEEE will provide parents and students with 
information and resources from Be a STAR alliance members.
   On behalf of the Congressional Anti-Bullying Caucus, I congratulate 
The Creative Coalition, WWE, Be a STAR, and the grant winners.

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