Event volunteers are pictured on Pink Shirt Promise Day at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus: (from left) student Jade Smith-Jolicoer, student experience coordinator Ali Weir, college president Dan Patterson, CSEL manager Lesley Calvin, peer mentoring program coordinator Lauren Smith, and Outlet Collection at Niagara staff member Danielle Cini.
Pink made a strong statement at Niagara College on Feb. 24, as students made pledges to stand against bullying.
Organized by the College’s Centre of Student Engagement and Leadership, students at the Niagara-on-the-Lake and Welland campuses were encouraged to participate in Pink Shirt Day – a movement for social change when Canadians join together to show their solidarity against bullying.
“We were so proud to stand amongst many individuals, organizations and businesses that are standing up against bullying today, in Niagara and beyond. By the sea of pink on campus today, this is a topic that is important to many,” said Lesley Calvin, manager of Student Engagement and Leadership.
Calvin noted that many students at both campuses took the opportunity to post their promises to end bullying on dedicated Post-it-Pink walls at both campuses.
“The students really took the time to reflect on what their promise would be, before they wrote it down. I think that was the most inspirational part,” said Calvin. “It really had students and staff pausing to think about what they could promise to do to address bullying. This is one of the million things that makes the students and staff at NC so special.”
Niagara College’s event was part of a wider community effort. In support of Shaw Communications’ Pink Shirt Promise campaign, the Outlet Collection at Niagara invited guests to post their positive message on the Post-it-Pink wall at Niagara College. The Outlet Collection of Niagara is donating $1 for each promise posted to the wall to help end bullying (up to $1,000) to the Boys and Girls Club of Niagara.
About Pink Shirt Day and #PinkShirtPromise
Created by Shaw Communications, #PinkShirtPromise is an initiative for social change in support of the bullying prevention movement in Canada aligned with Pink Shirt Day. The tradition of wearing pink shirts emerged in September 2007, after a Nova Scotia high-school student was bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school. Soon after, two grade 12 students organized their schoolmates to wear pink in solidarity. Since then, Pink Shirt Day has gained momentum across Canada to help put an end to bullying. #PinkShirtPromise is proudly supported by the Shaw Kids Investment Program.
For info visit shaw.ca/corporate/community/skip/pinkshirtday/ or pinkshirtday.ca/
