Highmark Healthy High 5 awards additional $3.3M for bullying prevention efforts in Pennsylvania schools

To sustain the efforts that have been made in the past three years to combat bullying, Highmark Healthy High 5, an initiative of the Highmark Foundation, is awarding an additional $3.3 million during the next two years to the Windber Research Institute (WRI) and the Center for Safe Schools (CSS).

The Highmark Foundation has awarded these partner organizations nearly $9 million in the past three years. The dollars ultimately benefit schools that are committed to bullying prevention within the Foundation's 49-county, Pennsylvania service area. Based on survey data of schools participating through the grants, close to 200,000 children in more than 270 schools have experienced positive changes in their learning environment.

The data collected constitutes the largest body gathered to date, making Pennsylvania a proving ground for effective bullying prevention and a model for broad-scale collaboration to prevent bullying. Data shows consistent reductions in bullying behavior including a 39 percent decrease in reports of bullying others among high school students, and a 35 percent reduction in bullying others among elementary students.

"Some of the improvements the Highmark Foundation anticipates will be a continuation in the reduction of bullying in schools and a legacy of knowledge that will give confidence to other states and funders interested in tackling the issue," said Highmark Foundation President Yvonne Cook. "Bullying prevention efforts are now active in many schools throughout Pennsylvania, and schools and parents must continue to fully take part in maintaining the positive momentum."

Two individual programs comprise such efforts, PA CARES (Creating an Atmosphere of Respect and Environment for Success) and the HALT! program, both based on the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP).

PA CARES is coordinated through the Center for Safe Schools, Camp Hill, PA, and supports schools in their efforts to create safe learning environments, providing support to schools to deliver the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. This program integrates traditional training and communication tools, web- based technologies and other activities designed to support research-informed practice.

HALT! is administered by the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at Windber Research Institute and provides certified Olweus trainers the opportunity to offer intensive, ongoing support to participating districts throughout the first year of implementation. It also incorporates several additional components designed to supplement implementation of the OBPP. These components include relationship-building workshops and daylong events for seventh graders.

The newly awarded grants, which will allow an additional 170 schools or 103,000 students to adopt the OBPP over the next two years, call for close collaboration between grantees WRI and CSS. The organizations will work together, combining lessons learned to implement a "hybrid" approach that incorporates best practices of the existing programs. Schools will receive incentives for participation in the Highmark Healthy High 5 Bullying Prevention Institute (BPI) created to support OBPP adopters, and will receive certified OBPP trainer support for more effective implementation.

The application process begins today. Schools that are interested in applying for grant dollars to execute the Olweus Bullying Prevention program can visit www.highmarkhealthyhigh5.org for more information.