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"Let's Be Friends" is a campaign created by AmeriCorps VISTAS, Deu Xiong and Ashley Tepe. In the summer of 2016 Deu and Ashley served as Summer Reads VISTAS in a Minneapolis public school in partnership with the Minnesota Literacy Council and AmeriCorps. Our goal was to promote literacy in the summer school program. Another goal was to create a resource that future VISTAS could use. Our resource has evolved into a website designed for parents, educators, and furture VISTAS or volunteers.

 

The Purpose of this website is to educate students, teachers, and adults about the important aspects of bullying, and how to create a safe environment for students to learn and grow. Upon interaction and observation within the Minneapolis public school where we were serving, we determined that the students and staff could benefit from an anti-bullying curriculum. Thus, the "Let's Be Friends," campaign was born as resource to help teachers, guardians and volunteers inform students about all the various aspects of bullying. We know that if the students are in a more friendly and positive school atmosphere, they will be more likely to have a positive attitude towards education and school in general!

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This website includes information to help educate students in kindergarten through third grade. Resources include presentations for each grade level, resources for parents or guardians to use at home, fun activities to get students talking about bullying while using literacy skills, and articles on the importance of preventing bully behavior in young children. 

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Work with us to help achieve a fun, safe environment in schools and end bullying for future generations!