Free Screening of BULLY, in the Historic Alameda Theatre on Monday, May 7 at 7: p.m.

     Seating is limited and on a First Come – First Served basis.

Following the screening, you are invited to stay for a panel discussion moderated by Vice Mayor Rob Bonta. Members on the panel will include Sean McPhetridge, Assistant Superintendent-Alameda Unified School District, Nicole Williams-Browning, Principal of Lincoln Middle School,          Jeff Knoth, Principal of Wood Middle School, Diana Kenney, Discovery Channel Trainer and Computer Educator at Encinal High School, and Alameda Police Chief Mike Noonan.                         It is important to us that a “Youth Voice” is included in the program, and we are working with organizations serving youth to identify students to participate.

We feel that this event will help support the many programs and activities to help educate and inform our youth and their parents regarding bullying issues in our schools and in the community.

Some of them are:

·         In addition to adopting an Anti-Bullying Curriculum in April 2010, the Alameda Unified School District has supported annual Season For Nonviolence activities including: Daily Readings in the Schools, a student Speech Contest, and a 2012 series of Bullying Prevention Assemblies in both elementary and middle schools.

·         Facing History and Ourselves has been incorporated into curriculum at Encinal and Alameda High Schools

·         Lincoln Middle School is in their 2^nd year of the “Wall Breakers” project

·         Wood Middle School hosted a community-wide Bullying Prevention Workshop in 2011, and, through grant funding, has staff dedicated to Bullying prevention, education, and Intervention.

·         Alternatives in Action's Bay Area School of Enterprise (BASE) has helped organize a number of activities focusing on nonviolence including Fast For Nonviolence

·         This year, Girls Incorporated of the Island City’s “Blueprint” program focused on the topics of bullying and cyber-bullying.

When the film was first released, it had an R Rating which many youth advocates felt was unwarranted, and would prevent youth, who might benefit from the experience, the opportunity of seeing the movie. Below is an excerpt from the ABC news release announcing the downgrading of the rating to PG-13.

ABC News / April 6, 2012
 Bully’ Film Rating Lowered to PG-13 After Public Pressure
The Alameda Collaborative for Children, Youth, and their Families (ACCYF) and nearly 50 organizations and individuals serving and advocating for youth asked to be listed as supporters of this event. 

The producers of “Bully,” a documentary on the bullying crisis in U.S. schools, claimed what they called a “huge victory” today when the Motion  Picture Association of America agreed to lower the film’s rating from R to the less-restrictive PG-13, making it easier for younger audiences to see it.

“Bully” director Lee Hirsch successfully negotiated with the MPAA to keep in a key scene that showed 15-year-old Alex Libby getting viciously harassed on a school bus provided Hirsch remove three  ”F-word”  references.