2008 No Name-Calling Week Creative Expression Contest Winners Announced

NEW YORK, Jan. 7, 2008 – GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing are proud to announce the winners of the 2008 No Name-Calling Week "Creative Expression Contest."

The contest asks students ages 5-15 to illustrate what name-calling means to them through artistic expression such as poetry, artwork or music. The contest is a precursor to No Name-Calling Week, Jan. 21-25, an annual week of educational activities in elementary and middle schools aimed at ending name-calling.

First place winners:

School or School District – Haviland Avenue Elementary School in Audubon, N.J. For a detailed description CLICK HERE.

Primary (ages 5-10) – Mark Zwick, a 3rd-grader from Cline Elementary in Centerville, Ohio. For a complete list CLICK HERE.

Secondary (ages 11-15) – Shannon Cooney, an 8th-grader from Trinity Christian School in Omaha, Neb. For a complete list of winners CLICK HERE.

"We see from the 'Creative Expression Contest' entries every year that young people know all too well the destructive impact of name-calling," said Dr. Eliza Byard, GLSEN’s Interim Executive Director. "We also see the willingness of students to support a school climate in which they learn to tolerate and respect each other, which is what No Name-Calling Week is all about."

The week is endorsed by nearly 50 youth-oriented organizations, including the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the Girl Scouts of the USA.

In GLSEN's 2005 report From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in America, 47 percent of junior/middle high school students said that bullying, name-calling or harassment are somewhat or very serious problems at their school. Additionally, 69 percent of junior/middle high school students reported being assaulted or harassed in the previous year and only 41 percent said they felt very safe at school.

About No Name-Calling Week
Coordinated by GLSEN in collaboration with nearly 50 national education organizational partners, No Name-Calling Week is an annual week of educational activities aimed at ending name-calling of all kinds and providing schools with the tools and inspiration to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate bullying in their communities.

About GLSEN
GLSEN, or the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. Established nationally in 1995, GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. For more information on GLSEN’s educational resources, public policy agenda, student organizing programs, research, public education or development initiatives, visit www.glsen.org.