Thanks, Office Depot Foundation

As we begin a new year and new decade, everyone at the Humanity Project wants to thank our members, friends and supporters. For the third consecutive year now, our growing list of important sponsors includes the Office Depot Foundation. On New Year’s Eve, they approved another grant to help us to keep on helping others in our community, especially young kids around South Florida. We are very grateful. Special thanks to David C. Fannin on the Board of Directors as well as to Mary Wong, Sabrina Conte and others at the foundation. It’s folks like you who make our work possible. Thank you, Office Depot Foundation.

Thank You, Michael Jackson

You may wonder why we're thanking Michael Jackson. Fair enough. The answer is best seen, not read. Go to this link and watch the Humanity Project's latest offering, "If You Help Someone." www.youtube.com/hpflorida. Loosely based on MJ's classic video "Beat It," we use child dancers and actors in our own tale of bullying -- and how to stop it. You'll hear original music that's very different anything Jackson did -- but that also sends a strong message young kids will remember. (While you're at our YouTube site, also check out the other videos, especially the wonderful news story about last year's anti-bullying Thousand Youth March for Humanity.) We think these videos will make you smile! Thanks MJ ... and thanks to you for your interest and support!

Big Thanks to Children’s Services Council!

For the second consecutive year, Children’s Services Council of Broward County has become a sponsor of the Humanity Project. We’re proud of our association with this distinguished tax-funded organization. And we’re appreciative of their continued enthusiasm for our work, an enthusiasm that once more takes tangible, meaningful form as monetary support for the Humanity Project. Last year, Children’s Services Council of Broward County helped us pay the costs for our Thousand Youth March for Humanity, the nation’s first mass children’s march against bullying. (If you haven’t yet, check out this news report about that march. It’ll make you smile! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4dIhJR_D_k. ) As you see, CSC plays a vital role in South Florida’s efforts to help kids – and they do a great job of it! Many thanks to CSC’s president and CEO, Cindy J. Arenberg Seltzer and her great staff for this important boost to the Humanity Project’s efforts. We are, again, enormously grateful.

Thank You, Elizabeth J. Liberty Charitable Trust Fund!

The kind folks at the family-run Elizabeth J. Liberty Charitable Trust Fund deserve a big thank you from everyone here at the Humanity Project! We just received a generous contribution from this organization to help support our original anti-bullying work in the schools. The timing of their donation was perfect too -- we really need donations and sponsorships to get our cutting-edge program to many more kids just now. Thank you so very much: Elizabeth J. Liberty, Anita Liberty, Phil Liberty and Frann Castillo. We are very grateful. The Humanity Project also wants to thank Anita and her two talented children, Trevor and Spencer Wayne, for helping us make our soon-to-be-released anti-bullying music video. Stay tuned for more details in this space. But for now, you should know that this new video included the acting and dancing skills of Trevor, 12, and Spencer, 8, as well as a slew of other talented young kids from performing arts schools. (Our new podcast talks more about this video: http://www.thehumanityproject.com/podcasts/Podcast66.html) We've already seen a rough cut of the music video and it will be something very special, shot in high definition. We expect to have it posted permanently on our website at www.thehumanityproject.com and on YouTube in the next few weeks. And it will be included as part of our in-school anti-bullying program. Thanks again so much to the Elizabeth J. Liberty Charitable Trust Fund for helping us to make it all happen. We appreciate your support more than you know.

Humanity Music

At the Humanity Project, music is a big deal. So we thought you might enjoy our latest podcast, "Humanity Music: Our Symphony Orchestra." You can find the new program at this website address: http://www.thehumanityproject.com/podcasts/Podcast64x.html Or just go to http://www.thehumanityproject.com/ and click on the menu link for "Podcast." You'll hear an explanation about WHY we use music so heavily -- use it to connect with kids and adults in many ways, including our original anti-bullying program. You'll also hear some of our original music during the program and listen as we create right before your ears a lovely, short symphonic piece ... something just for our listeners. We'll explain how we make these sounds in the studio and more. All in the latest podcast, coming to you each month for free through iTunes and other major podcast providers as well as on our own website. From the Humanity Project to you -- we hope you'll enjoy it! (Please pass it along to your friends and family for us too!!) Thanks!! :-))

Save This Date -- Really!

We know, we know. Everyone says, “Save The Date.” Like their event is the only thing to do in South Florida or something. But you may want to consider grabbing your pencil, or maybe pen, for this date. July 7, 2009. Here’s why: You can help kids to stop bullying in our local schools – AND meet some great people and listen to some terrific live music. All this for just $10. That seems like a date worth marking down. You’ll also be able to purchase food and drink at very reasonable prices, if you want, at the historic Downtowner Saloon. That community-minded establishment is the host for the grand finale to our “Freedom from Bullying Parties” over the 4th of July weekend. ALL of this money, every $10 we raise, will go to help us complete The Humanity Project’s anti-bullying program for South Florida elementary school students. These are the details for your calendar:
· Day/time: Tuesday July 7, 6 – 9 p.m.
· Location: Downtowner Saloon, 10 South New River Dr. East, Ft Lauderdale (954-463-9800) – Look for us in the beautiful refurbished Maxwell Room in back! A very cool space …
· Music: Jazz Survivors, a hot quartet that plays local festivals, jazz brunches, etc.
· Cost: $10, tax deductible – ALL money to benefit The Humanity Project’s anti-bullying program!
· Parking: Lots of free parking right behind the Downtowner.
· People: Fun, caring, looking to meet new friends!! (Not always easy to find in South Florida!!
;-))

Sample a Yellow Strawberry

We hope you're planning your 4th of July "Freedom from Bullying Party," which we explained in the previous blog. But there’s another way you can help us complete our unique, effective anti-bullying program for the school kids if you live in South Florida. Our great friends at Yellow Strawberry Global Hair Salon in Fort Lauderdale are giving to The Humanity Project yet again. Owner Jesse Briggs is a wonderful guy who cares about kids a lot – and is helping us to stop bullying. He also has cut the hair of some pretty famous folks over the years. If you’ve never had the chance to try upscale Yellow Strawberry, now’s a great time because it will also help stop bullying. Here’s Jesse’s generous offer: Anytime in June, bring the below coupon with you and get a shampoo, conditioner, haircut and blow dry. He’ll give us $20 toward the music video for each woman’s cut (out of the total discount price: $45 -- or see this link for other services available with discount prices and anti-bullying donations: http://www.yellowstrawberry.com/ysblog/) and he’ll donate $10 for every man’s cut ($35 total price). Please make SURE to bring in the coupon below. The offer’s not valid without this. Just copy, paste and print the coupon. Simple, right? Ask for Jesse Briggs or one of the other four talented stylists who are helping us. They’re named in the coupon. You’ll get a great cut – and help a great cause!!
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COUPON COUPON COUPON COUPON COUPON COUPON COUPON
This coupon is redeemable for one woman’s haircut ( total price: $60; $75 for long hair) or one man’s haircut ($35) at Yellow Strawberry Global Hair Salon, 1007 E. Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, between June 1 – June 30, 2009. Yellow Strawberry will donate $20 from each woman’s cut with coupon, $10 from each man’s cut with coupon, to The Humanity Project’s important anti-bullying program. Ask for Jesse Briggs, Shelly Van Pelt, Franco Magnotta, Christopher Durst or Edy Gomez. Call for appointment: 954-463-4343.
COUPON COUPON COUPON COUPON COUPON COUPON COUPON ____________________________________________________________________
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Anti-bullying … “Party”??

Yep. No joke. This is your chance to do good and feel good – and have a good time! We just gave two more great presentations of The Humanity Project anti-bullying program to elementary school kids. Thousands of children clearly are “getting” our message: bullying hurts everyone in school and everyone must help stop it. But we’re still lacking the final important component of this program … lacking it for the usual reason. Money. We have recorded another very cool original kids song, “If Ya Help Someone” and plan to turn this into a terrific MTV-style music video. It’ll really help drive home our point at the end of each program. We’ll also make it available to the general public for free on YouTube. We need around $3,000 to create, direct and produce a high-quality professional music video. You can help us make that video a permanent part of our unique original anti-bullying program … just by having a “Freedom from Bullying Party” sometime around the 4th of July holiday. It won’t cost you much: not much time, not much money, not much hassle. Here’s details of the idea (which was suggested by our great volunteer, Rebecca!):

** Invite from 5 – 15 friends to your 4th of July holiday wingding. Have the party when it’s most convenient for everyone, but ideally sometime near the 4th weekend.
** Ask each guest to bring something for the party: bottle of wine, six-pack of soft drinks, bag of chips, etc. Not much expense there, right?
** Tell each person about the important idea behind these parties: To free kids from bullying!! Request that each guest contribute just $20 to that cause.(We can give you receipts for each tax-deductible $20 donation!)
** Have a blast for freedom over our national holiday – knowing that you’re also helping kids become free of bullying. This gives your 4th of July party a whole new, very satisfying spin!
** After your party, just email us at rsk@thehumanityproject.com or call 954-205-2722. We’ll tell you how you can easily get the money to us over the Internet or where to mail the money you collected.

That’s it! No hassles at all, really! We’ve already got several parties lined up but need a whole bunch more to make that anti-bullying video a reality for the kids. Please help us. We need you! (And if you’re still not too familiar with The Humanity Project, check out our new presence on YouTube: www.youtube.com/hpflorida . You may want to include that link in your “Freedom from Bullying Party” email invites too!!)

One Mom & Two Kids

Just a quick post to let our many blog followers know about a podcast they may want to check out. It's called "One Mom & Two Kids," the first Humanity Project show on which we've heard the voices of children who actually have experienced bullying first-hand in their school. It's an engaging interview with a mom and her kids and you can listen to all or part of the program, which runs about 1/2 hour long. An interesting way to spend a little free Web-surfing time! Check it out at http://www.thehumanityproject.com/podcasts/Podcast61.html. Thanks -- and please email the link to your friends!

Thank You, State Farm!

Once again, our Good Neighbors have come through for us. State Farm Insurance has just signed on as a sponsor of The Humanity Project’s innovative anti-bullying program for elementary school students. This month, more than 1,400 kids will learn why bullying hurts everyone in their school – and how they can stop it in appropriate ways. Many thousands more will hear that same lesson in the coming weeks. Our program was approved by psychologists, educators and prevention specialists for use here in Broward County, Florida – the nation’s sixth largest school district. But we can’t get it to the kids who need it without money. So three State Farm agency field executives stepped up to help, just as they did for our Thousand Youth March for Humanity last November. The Humanity Project gives a big thanks again to Eugene Dixon, Craig Holloway and John Gentry for bringing State Farm to this cause. They understand how important it is to stop the school bullying that damages, sometimes destroys, young lives. And like the good neighbors they are, Mr. Dixon, Mr. Holloway and Mr. Gentry are doing something about it. We offer them our heartfelt thanks.

Some Podcast Fun

We hope you'll take a half hour to have some fun with our new podcast. Called "A Board Member Speaks," the title may not exactly be catchy! ;-) But the program will grab you if you begin listening and stay with it a few minutes. The Humanity Project's newest member of the Board of Directors, Bob LaMendola, is not only a socially committed, thoughtful person -- he's fun. As a full time journalist and musician, he tells some good stories on this podcast. We think you may also enjoy our cool original theme music for this show. (Each podcast has different original music, composed and performed by The Humanity Project's president/founder. Check out various programs and you'll hear everything from blues to New Age music, classical to hip hop.) Just go to www.thehumanityproject.com and click on the podcast tab. Then open the latest program. Let us know what you think of the new podcast -- and please help us spread the word. Tell your friends about our blogs and podcasts! Thanks!!

A Plan to Stop Bullying – and Much More

The Humanity Project has been very busy again. Sorry for the long gap between blogs, but we’ll try to do better in the near future. We’re still new and small – but we’re working on some ambitious plans. Those plans include, well, another type of plan. A plan to stop bullying in the schools. We have created an innovative anti-bullying program for elementary school students. It’s been approved by psychologists, educators and prevention specialists in the nation’s sixth largest school district. It is available to other school districts as well. Contact us and we’ll tell you all about it! We also have exciting news about a new website just for kids. It will be called www.thp4kids.com – get it? As in, “The Humanity Project 4 Kids.” We’ve already created an outline of some truly cutting-edge interactive features that will keep kids 8 – 14-years-old coming back day after day. And what will they learn? How to stop bullying, yes. But a lot more too. We’ll teach human values in new, entertaining ways to any child with access to a computer. Values like self-respect, respect for others, perseverance to fulfill their potential and lots more. We believe we have the background in our organization to pull this project off successfully. Now we need major sponsors to help us. If you’d like to know more, again, just go to the Contact Us page on www.thehumanityproject.com. Together, we will make a difference in the future of our kids.

Children’s March A Huge Success!

The Thousand Youth March for Humanity brought together more than 1,300 students by official estimates, from kindergarten through college, along with some 500 or more adults. We all united in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, November 16 – a picture perfect day! Our message was simple: “We want no bullying around!” We delivered that message loud and clear, with original songs and poetry slams and dance and great speeches of hope. To our knowledge, this event was a first anywhere in the United States.

It’s just one example of what The Humanity Project is all about: Finding practical ways to help fulfill human potential, such as stopping bullying. Listen for our next podcast, at the end of this month, which will help explain more fully what we’re really trying to accomplish. This group is not New Age, not religious. Our efforts are practical and our ideas are rooted in realities we all would recognize in our individual lives. Stay tuned for that program. But for now, thanks to everyone who helped make The Humanity Project’s Thousand Youth March for Humanity such a powerful anti-bullying message.

Frequently Asked Questions: Thousand Youth March for Humanity

Q: What are the basic details? Who is doing this? Where, when, etc.?

Conceived and organized by the nonprofit group, The Humanity Project, the Thousand Youth March for Humanity will bring together more than 1,000 students, grades K – 12, to march for an end to school bullying. The march will be held on Sunday, November 16, 2008, rain or shine. It will begin at Huizenga Plaza in downtown Fort Lauderdale and proceed for 8/10ths of a mile through closed, police-protected streets back to the plaza for a rally with bands, balloons, brief speeches and a call-and-response anti-bullying chant from the crowd.

Q: What time should participants arrive and how long will the march and rally be?

The march begins promptly at 1 p.m. Walking time is likely to be about 45 minutes for all marchers to complete the route. The rally will begin immediately after the march itself and will end by 3 p.m. Participants should arrive by noon on march day and will be free to go right after the rally ends. Buses will line up at 3 p.m. to pick up students who came by bus.

Q: What is the march route?

The march will begin at the plaza, located on the corner of Andrews Avenue and Las Olas Boulevard, then head north to Broward Boulevard, east to SE 3rd Avenue, south to Las Olas Boulevard, then west on Las Olas back to the plaza. Students, parents, teachers, administrators, volunteers and the public will gather in the plaza and street for the rally.

Q: You said “rain or shine.” This march really will happen even if it rains?

Definitely. Even if it rains. In fact, this strong statement against bullying becomes even stronger if students turn out in large numbers despite challenging weather. Just bring ponchos, umbrellas or whatever else you need to stay dry.

Q: I’d like to know more about the reasons behind the march and about The Humanity Project.

Go to their website at www.thehumanityproject.com and listen to their September podcast or read their blogs about the march.

Q: Ok, how can I take part?

Contact The Humanity Project’s president and founder, Bob Knotts, at 954-205-2722 or email him at rsk1writer@bellsouth.net.

Q: Where should I park for the march?

The public parking garage near the main library has plenty of room. There’s also public parking at garages just north and west of the plaza in the Riverwalk area. Make sure to arrive early so you can find a good space and get to the march at noon.

Q: How do I volunteer to help?

Again, call or email The Humanity Project at the number or address listed above.

Q: I know someone who might want to sponsor or donate to help pay for this important event. How can they do that?

The Humanity Project is urgently seeking sponsors and donors to cover the substantial costs of the Thousand Youth March for Humanity. In return, those sponsors and donors will be given broad public exposure for their community involvement through the media, Internet, flyers, banners and more. Just call 954-205-2722 to help. Our current sponsors now include Nova Southeastern University, Florida Marlins, AutoNation, Children's Services Council, Yellow Strawberry Global Hair Salon, Freeman Orthodontics, Framing By Morris, Downtown Development Authority, State Farm and Office Depot Foundation.

Marching Forward

At The Humanity Project, we’re very pleased. The Broward School Board, which runs the sixth largest school district in the United States, has officially declared Sunday, November 16, “Thousand Youth March for Humanity Day.” This unprecedented event will bring together students from kindergarten through 12th grade to take back their schools from the bullies. Thank you for this honor, Broward School Board. We also want to thank our growing list of sponsors, which now includes Nova Southeastern University, Florida Marlins, State Farm, AutoNation, Freeman Orthodontics, Downtown Development Authority, Yellow Strawberry Global Hair Salon and Children’s Services Council of Broward County. Next month, we all will join together with thousands of students and community groups and churches and arts organizations with one simple purpose: to make bullying socially unacceptable. We hope you’ll want to help our effort in whatever ways you can. Just go to the Contact Us page at www.thehumanityproject.com to call or email for more information. Or donate at our Join/Donate page at this same website. Thanks!

Thanks, Nova!

As The Humanity Project continues our hard work on the fast-approaching Thousand Youth March for Humanity, we have reason today to celebrate. We welcome an important new sponsor to our efforts: Nova Southeastern University, an influential institution in South Florida. NSU has just joined our growing list of supporters for this big event, which is a march by students to end bullying in their schools. In effect, the students are taking back their own school yards, halls and classrooms from the troublemakers. It's part of The Humanity Project's programs to help make bullying socially unacceptable behavior. We’re proud that NSU wants to work with us.

Nova is based in the Fort Lauderdale area, with a lovely 300-acre campus and more than 26,000 students. It’s the largest independent institution of higher learning in the southeastern United States. The university also boasts a group of experts on the issue of bullying. We gratefully add NSU to a sponsor list that, as of this writing, also includes the Florida Marlins Major League Baseball team, AutoNation, Downtown Development Authority, Children’s Services Council and our old friends at Yellow Strawberry Global Hair Salon. Thanks to each of you and to Nova. Together, we can help end school bullying – and help prevent the psychological and physical damage to kids that often results from this abuse. The Thousand Youth March for Humanity can serve as our rallying point for change.

Thousand Youth March for Humanity

I hope you’ll listen to our new podcast, which is titled exactly the same as this blog: “Thousand Youth March for Humanity.” It will explain more than I can in this brief space about the unprecedented event The Humanity Project is organizing and leading this fall. On Sunday, November 16, we’ll head up a march of more than 1,000 school kids, grades K – 12, to stop school bullying. Think about that. When is the last time you’ve heard of students from five-years-old to 18-years-old coming together for anything? Then ask yourself when you’ve heard of kids from vastly different economic and ethnic backgrounds supporting the same cause. Then think about this: Have you ever heard of a massive number of students marching to take back their own schools from the bullies? I suspect the answer to all those questions is that, no you haven’t heard about this before. That’s why the Thousand Youth March for Humanity is unique. Our sponsors right now include the Florida Marlins, AutoNation, Yellow Strawberry Global Hair Salon, Downtown Development Authority and Children’s Services Council. But we need more sponsors and donors – lots more. An event this huge doesn’t come cheap. We hope the whole community will come together to say that bullying must be seen as socially unacceptable from now on, like drunk driving. Bullying is dangerous. Bullying damages and sometimes destroys young lives. This march can be the beginning of a new attitude about school abuse and violence. Because bullying isn’t just kids being kids. It’s kids harming kids. This march is our chance to join together and deliver one simple, powerful message about bullying: “Enough!”

Our Anti-bullying Work

At our first meeting with the nation’s sixth largest school district, The Humanity Project had one clear message: “We believe that bullying must become socially unacceptable, just like such things as drunk driving or smoking in crowds.” That remains our goal in all our anti-bullying efforts. We believe strongly that students, parents and teachers must begin to view bullying differently. It’s no longer kids just being kids. Bullying is socially destructive behavior.

We’re proud of the Thousand Youth March for Humanity that we conceived and will now organize and lead, a major public anti-bullying event that's unprecedented in Florida and perhaps in the United States. More than 1,000 students, from grades K – 12, will march through the streets on Sunday, November 16, 2008 to take back their own schools from the bullies. We think that the message delivered by these youths will be as clear as our original comment to the Broward County school district: “Bullying must become socially unacceptable.” News coverage is likely to help us deliver that message far beyond the borders of Broward County in South Florida.

The Humanity Project also created our own innovative anti-bullying program that we’ll take into those same South Florida schools beginning later this year – and we’re very proud of this as well. Our entertaining, thought-provoking half-hour presentation will be seen by elementary school students. Again, the message is very clear: “Bullying hurts everyone in school, not just kids who are bullied. So everyone must view bullying as socially unacceptable behavior.” It’s all part of The Humanity Project’s mission to show the many real, practical connections that link human beings – and the ways that we can lead our lives for the betterment of both humanity and ourselves at the same time. Helping yourself, helping humanity. That’s The Humanity Project.

Anti-Bullying Efforts and The Humanity Project

I want to fire off a quick blog to tell you about this website’s latest podcast, which deals with anti-bullying efforts in South Florida. I also want to let you know a little about The Humanity Project’s new anti-bullying program. This work fits nicely with our group’s mission, which is non-religious and science-based. The Humanity Project is all about helping individuals to lead fuller, happier lives through giving. We call this unconditional giving – that is, contributing to society without worrying what’s in it for us. We also promote the idea of a common bond among all individuals. Our program for elementary schools focuses on making bullying socially unacceptable, including the introduction of this idea: “If you hurt someone, you hurt yourself. But if you help someone, you also help yourself!” That message is just one part of the overall program that shows students why bullying is a bad thing for everyone. Our work especially centers on persuading so-called bystanders – those children who aren’t bullies or bullying victims. If we can get all students, along with adults in the schools and parents, to agree that bullying is socially unacceptable, the school culture will slowly change.

The sixth largest school district in the United States is already tackling this issue in a big way. Broward County, Florida is the home of Fort Lauderdale. It’s also a place where a progressive, forward-thinking school board and superintendent have made anti-bullying a priority. Superintendent James F. Notter and the board members have appointed a task force to recommend specific curricula and policies for the coming school year. In charge of that task force are two terrific women: Shelly Heller, an attorney and mother of four, and Aimee Wood, a school prevention specialist. I hope you’ll check out May’s podcast, just posted at www.thehumanityproject.com, featuring an interview with Shelly Heller about all this.

If you want to contact Shelly or anyone in the school system about these anti-bullying efforts, you can do it in a couple of ways. You can email The Humanity Project at rsk@thehumanityproject.com and we’ll forward it. Or you can go to the Broward school district website at www.browardschools.com and look for contact information there. The Humanity Project sits on two of the five subcommittees working to create Broward’s anti-bullying curricula and policies – and we’re proud of that work. We hope to lend our innovative ideas to the anti-bullying efforts in Broward County, Florida for a long time. And we will be happy to share our program with other school districts or organizations anywhere in the world.
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