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Sandy Hook Promise Builds on a "Culture of Awareness"

Patrick Skahill
/
WNPR
The new Sandy Hook Elementary School.

There are signs.

That's the message Sandy Hook Promise wants to get out to schools -- most teenagers make a warning of some kind before going on a shooting rampage, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

"The essence of the program, basically, is about being a good upstander, not just being a bystander," said Mark Barden from Sandy Hook Promise. He lost in son, Daniel, in the 2012 shooting in Newtown, and he's talking about program called Say Something. 

Its focus is on creating what Barden calls a culture of awareness. The program teaches students to learn how to recognize warning signs of violence and self harm, which in addition to bullying, can include eating disorders and emotional abuse.

"By cultivating this connected community idea," he said, "then we will be averting tragedies, specifically gun-related tragedies, but really all violence should be coming down."

There's a special emphasis on social media, he said, which is a place where bullying can be especially harsh and anonymous, making it difficult to combat.

This is also tied to the concept of social and emotional learning, which has been growing in popularity in schools across Connecticut since the Sandy Hook tragedy. Barden's group also has a program called Start with Hello, which addresses social isolation.

"It trains kids to reach out to somebody who's chronically isolated, and make them feel included and connected," he said.

Strong social and emotional learning programs have been shown to help students adapt and become more productive and happier adults.

David finds and tells stories about education and learning for WNPR radio and its website. He also teaches journalism and media literacy to high school students, and he starts the year with the lesson: “Conflicts of interest: Real or perceived? Both matter.” He thinks he has a sense of humor, and he also finds writing in the third person awkward, but he does it anyway.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.