The STOOD UP Fair got underway on Saturday, 21 October 2017 attracting dozens of students from across Grand Cayman.
The anti-bullying fair, which was planned by the Department of Counselling Services’ (DCS) Family Resource Centre in partnership with Hurley’s Media, Rotary Sunrise, Dart and local author Paul Schreiner, was held at The ARC, Camana Bay.
Aimed at encouraging children and youth to be creative in exploring ways they can address bullying, the fair featured student booths with their anti-bullying projects.
Students from primary and secondary schools participated in one of the two age categories. Amongst the schools which participated were Clifton Hunter High School, John Gray High School, Grace Christian Academy, Triple C School, George Town Primary and Red Bay Primary School. Projects covered verbal, social, physical and cyberbullying.
The event also showcased booths from the DCS, Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS), the YMCA and Rotary Sunshine Club of Grand Cayman promoting their anti-bullying resources.
Each entry was assessed by four judges who asked contestants to make short presentations about their projects. Furthermore, the judges assessed participants’ projects based on the quality and originality, the anti-bullying theme, educational value and students’ explanation of their project.
One of the projects that proved particularly popular was an anti-bullying video by 11 -year-old Jelani Hanson. “I saw a poster promoting the STOOD UP Fair in class and it grabbed my attention,” He explained. “A representative from the Family Resource Centre came to our school and shared information about anti-bullying initiatives. I had many ideas but they were far too stereotypical, and I wanted my project to stand out. I really wanted to do a video, as I felt that this was a better medium to promote the anti-bullying message.”
Winners in the 10-12 category were (1st) Jelani Hanson, (2nd) Paige Prendergast and (3rd) Antaneya Baptist and Manila Matos-Ebanks. In the 13-16 category the winners were (1st) Ashley-Jade Peharie, (2nd) Shante Ramoon and (3rd) Jevon Stewart. First place winners won HP laptops, second place contestants got tablets and third place winners got a $100 Kings Sports Centre gift certificate (10-12) and a $100 gift card for Camana Bay (13-16).
“We were pleased with the turnout,” said FRC’s Acting Programmes Coordinator Charmaine Miller. “Participants who had developed their projects were very imaginative and were passionate about them. As part of Anti-Bullying Month, we wanted students to actively participate in finding ways, they and their peers can help prevent these anti-social behaviours. This is the first STOOD UP Fair and we are very encouraged by the positive feedback we received from all those students who participated.”