No-Name Calling Week Underway

If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. That's the basic principle behind No-Name Calling Week, a national movement created by the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN). The week focuses on starting dialogue among elementary and middle schoolers about the abuse and effects of name-calling and bullying. Participating teachers utilize exercises and projects from GLSEN's website to motivate students to start talking about the issue. GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard says one of the biggest projects of the week is a creative expression contest. She says the real goal of the week is to stop name-calling in elementary and middle schools before it becomes a larger issue in high schools. The week began on Monday, January 26th and runs through Friday, January 30th.