GLSEN Announces No Name-Calling Week Creative Expression Contest Winners

NEW YORK, April 1, 2009 – GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is proud to announce the winners of the 2009 No Name-Calling Week Creative Expression Contest out of more than 1,000 entries received from across the country.

The Creative Expression Contest encourages students ages 5-15 to illustrate what name-calling means to them through artistic expression in the form of poetry, artwork, music, video or whatever medium they prefer. The contest takes place in part during No Name-Calling Week, Jan. 26-30, an annual week of educational activities in elementary and middle schools aimed at ending name-calling of all kinds.

First place winners:

Primary (ages 5-10) – Trey Sweet, a kindergartener from Meadow View Elementary in Radcliff, Ky, for his drawing encouraging students to "stop and think."

For a complete list of primary winners, CLICK HERE.

Secondary (ages 11-15) – Jillian Hojsak, a 6th-grader from Tenafly Middle School in Tenafly, N.J., for a story book called "The Small Hero."

For a complete list of secondary winners, CLICK HERE.

"The Creative Expression Contest entries get better and better every year," said GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard. "Far too many young people have a direct knowledge of the hurtful and devastating impact of name-calling, but through No Name-Calling Week and the Creative Expression Contest we continue to see the powerful impact young people can have on their schools and their peers."

No Name-Calling 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. Teacher surveys reveal that more than 100,000 students participated in 2009 No Name-Calling Week activities. In GLSEN and Harris Interactive'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 Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and 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, 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. GLSEN seeks to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes to creating a more vibrant and diverse community. For information on GLSEN’s research, educational resources, public policy advocacy, student organizing programs and educator training initiatives, visit www.glsen.org.