Press Release

Media Contact: John Bourget
phone: 860.231.6350
email: jbourget@mandelljcc.org

MANDELL JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER TO OFFER SEMINAR ON PEER HARASSMENT WITH LOCAL EXPERT

Creating a positive impact on high school climates

WEST HARTFORD, Conn., December 7, 2007- In an effort to reach out to the community and educate area students and faculty about the pervasive peer harassment problem, the Mandell Jewish Community Center in West Hartford is conducting a Student Leaders Forum on January 31 entitled Improving School Climates. The session will be led by Dr.Jo Ann Frieberg, the Associate Educational Consultant for Bulling, Improving School Climate and Character Education at the Connecticut State Department of Education who says that, “the research is conclusive that creating safe schools is dependent on a true collaboration between students and teachers".

The serious issue of school bullying is an important topic as school violence cases have been prevalent and victimization can take many forms. The talk with Dr. Frieberg is part of related programming for the Mandell JCC's popular speaker's series, The New Jewish Book Festival. The Book Festival speaker for the January installment is New York Times best-selling author Jodi Picoult, whose latest novel Nineteen Minutes, documents the events leading up to and following a shooting in a small town high school in New Hampshire. In the story, the school, the students, the faculty and the community were forever changed by this tragedy.

In her exhaustive research to prepare for the book, Ms. Picoult documents the factors that could lead a teenager to make such a horrific choice, with the root cause being bullying by others students. After reading the book, it became very clear to David Jacobs, Executive Director at the Mandell JCC that "Ms. Picoult's talk presents a unique opportunity to engage and sensitize the very people who could have a positive impact on school climates: the high school students and faculty themselves".

Immediately prior to Jodi Picoult's speaking engagement, Dr. Frieberg will lead an interactive discussion about school climates and help student leaders and faculty from the local high schools to identify action steps they can take to support one another. Dr. Frieberg said that, "the ultimate remedy for bullying is to empower the bystanders to become allies and create an environment that prevents the incident from happening". Ms. Picoult will also meet with the students before the lecture and provide autographed copies of her book.

The seminar on peer harassment is being generously funded by the Ellen Jeanne Goldfarb Memorial Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation

Tickets for best-selling author Jodi Picoult are available by calling Delly London at 860-231-6316. For more information, visit www.mandelljcc.org.

About the MANDELL JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
The Mandell JCC is a community and cultural center that offers a full range of activities, classes and special events for people of all beliefs, ages and stages. The JCC's offerings include early child centers and after school programs, a summer camp, recreation and wellness facilities, health spas, an indoor pool, a swim and tennis club, an arts center and more. The JCC has a rich history which dates back more than 90 years and has continued to expand and evolve into its current role as a significant community and family resource for the Greater Hartford area. The JCC also has childcare facilities in Simsbury and Glastonbury.