Posts Tagged ‘challenge’

2013 NO BULL Challenge promoting digital responsibility launched; Steve Harvey signs on as judge

Friday, December 14th, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO (PRBuzz.com) December 14, 2012 — The Great American NO BULL Challenge today launches its second annual global short film and Public Service Announcement competition for teens promoting digital responsibility and anti-bullying. TV personality Steve Harvey has joined the campaign as one of the judges.

Middle and high school students, ages 13-18, are eligible to compete by submitting videos on digital responsibility to www.nobullchallenge.org.
Formats include: 2-5 minute short films, and 30-60 second PSA’s–all dealing with digital responsibility. For the first time, there is a category for foreign short films and PSA’s. Videos may be uploaded from December 14, 2012 to April 29, 2013.

Prizes will include a mentorship by Emmy Award winning filmmaker Lee Hirsch, video cameras, scholarships and a trip to the Sundance Film Festival, where the winning video will be submitted.

The NO BULL Challenge began as a fight against cyberbullying–a problem plaguing millions of teens and preteens. Today, it’s expanding to include other areas of digital responsibility, including: anti-bullying, online brand management, sexting awareness, and hate-speech awareness.

The NO BULL Challenge was founded by cyber safety expert and bestselling author, Shawn Edgington. “Our goal is to ensure that all middle and high school students from around the world have access to the NO BULL Challenge to help strengthen their digital responsibility skills using real life experiences, the power of their voice, and the magic of filmmaking,” commented Shawn Edgington.

Facebook and Twitter will play a key role in the 2013 campaign holding a teen “Hack-a-Vid”, next spring. Film industry experts, educators and social media experts will attend to offer advice to the young filmmakers for the creation of their PSA’s.

The public will vote on the videos in May and then a panel of experienced judges will determine winners from the top nominated videos. 2012 judges included Dr. Mehmet Oz, and Ann Shoket, Editor-In-Chief, Seventeen Magazine. Emmy award-winning filmmaker Lee Hirsch, director of “BULLY” will return as a judge for the second year.

Zoe Oz, Nicole Edgington, Zack Veach, and Paige Logan continue in their roles as teen spokespeople for the NO BULL Challenge. Reformed bullies and 2012 NO BULL Nominees Scott Hannah and Tyler Gregory have joined the NO BULL’s National Spokespeople’s team for 2013.

About the Great American NO BULL Challenge and NO BULL Teen Video Awards:
The NO BULL Challenge and NO BULL Teen Video Awards promote digital responsibility, a positive school climate and social action using the power of music and filmmaking. The campaign’s national partners include, National Organization for Youth Safety, iSafe, FCCLA, 4-H, Bully The Movie and The Bully Project, HealthCorps, Project Change, Business Professionals of America, ADL, SADD, The California Endowment and GuestAssist Campus among others. The Great American NO BULL Challenge is a 501c3 organization.

About Shawn Edgington:
Shawn Edgington is the founder of the Great American NO BULL Challenge and the NO BULL Teen Video Awards. She is the President of the Cyber Safety Academy and the CEO of a national insurance company. A leading cyber-safety expert, Shawn is the author of the best selling book, “The Parent’s Guide to Texting, Facebook and Social Media: Understanding the Benefits and Dangers of Parenting in the Digital World.”

A ”NO BULL” Challenge for schools: get, free anti-bullying lessons to students by Election Day

Monday, October 22nd, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO (PRBuzz.com) October 22, 2012 — The Great American NO BULL Challenge today issued a challenge to school districts across the country– to get the NO BULL Academy’s free anti-bullying programs into all 6-12 grade classrooms by Election Day. The web-based platform teaches students digital responsibility, while fostering a positive and safe school climate. The lesson plans are designed by experienced educators for teens, and include anti-bullying videos created by the award-winning teen filmmakers of the 2012 NO BULL Teen Video Awards.

Cyber safety expert, and Founder of the NO BULL Challenge, Shawn Edgington said,
“Education reform and budget shortfalls are being debated in races for local, state and national office. We are pleased to provide some help for budget-strapped school districts, with free programs for students and educators. Lessons in digital responsibility should not be overlooked. That is why I have set November 6th, Election Day, as a goal to get the NO BULL Academy’s free programming in classrooms from coast to coast.”

The Blue Valley School District in the Kansas City metro area was the first to introduce the NO BULL Academy to its students, during Kansas Bully Awareness Week in September. School administrator, Molly McNally, said, “teachers reported the best student-engaged conversations ever.” She added, “teachers really like the format.” McNally is the mother of two and her niece was, “bullied relentlessly” during middle school. Today in her position as a school administrator, she is making sure students and teachers are educated about what bullying really looks like, and that they are provided with tools to deal with this problem.

The Kansas teachers used a lesson plan created by Austin Barker, the winner of the NO BULL Teen Video Awards. Barker, now a college freshman, is continuing his work with the NO BULL Challenge as President of the Youth Advisory Council, and encourages students to get involved in the 2013 NO BULL Teen Video Awards. Barker said, “As advocates of anti-bullying we hope to bring peace, understanding, and awareness of an evolving generation of bullying to students and educators across the United States. We have done this in a way not seen or experienced before; through the eyes of victims of bullying, and the vision of the students of America. The NO BULL Academy in coordination with the Great American NO BULL Challenge allows students across the country to unite against bullying and truly become a NO BULL NATION. We believe that even though you are in a place of darkness, you can still find light, because you’re not alone, and there is a better day coming.”

Barker joins Edgington in her challenge to schools to take advantage of what the NO BULL Academy offers for free, thanks to donations by its sponsors.

About the Great American NO BULL Challenge and NO BULL Teen Video Awards:
The NO BULL Challenge and NO BULL Teen Video Awards promote social responsibility, a positive school climate and social action using the power of music and film. The campaign’s national partners include, National Organization for Youth Safety, iSafe, FCCLA, 4-H, Bully The Movie and The Bully Project, HealthCorps, Project Change, Business Professionals of America, SADD, The California Endowment, among others.

About Shawn Edgington:
Shawn Edgington is the founder of the Great American NO BULL Challenge and the NO BULL Teen Video Awards. She is the President of the Cyber Safety Academy and the CEO of a national insurance company. A leading cyber safety expert, Shawn is the author of the best selling book, “The Parent’s Guide to Texting, Facebook and Social Media: Understanding the Benefits and Dangers of Parenting in the Digital World.”

Media Contact:
Suzanne Spurgeon, Women Media Pros
Suzanne@WomenMediaPros.com
Claudia McMahon, Women Media Pros
Claudia@WomenMediaPros.com
323-656-1536

Annual anti-bullying ”NO BULL Challenge” set to return in 2013; free programs provided to teachers.

Tuesday, October 2nd, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO (PRBuzz.com) October 1, 2012 — The Great American NO BULL Challenge today announced the second annual NO BULL Challenge and Teen Video Awards as the world turns its attention to National Bullying Prevention Month. The 2013 event is set to take place in the summer of 2013 in Los Angeles and returns teen spokespeople: author Zoe Oz, racecar driver Zach Veach and advocates Paige Logan and Nicole Edgington.

“We have found that the level of teen engagement and the promotion of a positive school climate are elevated when lessons come from other teens. Change makers affecting millions, is NO BULL’s lofty goal,” said Shawn Edgington, cyber safety expert, best selling author, and founder of the NO BULL Challenge.

The inaugural No BULL Teen Video Awards where held in July 2012 in San Francisco and included Hollywood celebrities, athletes, and musicians among them, singer/songwriter Sean Kingston and The New Boyz. The event also spawned a spoof on Comedy Central’s Emmy-award winning animated sitcom, South Park. To cap off the night, Robert Austin Barker was awarded first place for his documentary, “The Formula: A High School Thesis.”

“I filmed “The Formula” in response to my own personal battles with bullying. I think it’s important for people to consider that just because they’re in a place of darkness doesn’t mean they can’t bring light to it. The NO BULL Challenge allowed me to help deliver hope to all teens around the world with my film,” commented Austin Robert Barker, the big winner of the evening.

For the 2013 Challenge, teens and preteens are encouraged to enter the competition by creating 2-5 minute videos, or, 30-60 second PSAs, with a message of digital responsibility and/or anti-bullying. Videos may be submitted this December.

To further its anti-bullying message and teach students “digital responsibility,” the NO BULL Challenge and NO BULL Teen Video Awards will provide free educational programs to schools, nationwide. The programs are being administered through the Challenge’s NO BULL Academy.

The lesson plans were created by teens, many of who have been bullied. Among those is 18- year-old filmmaker, Barker. Barker’s winning short film, “The Formula” is being provided to schools, along with a new video message to students by Barker, and a Q & A lesson plan.

Fifteen video-rich classroom presentations have been put together for all students in order to help promote a positive school environment. Each 20-minute presentation includes one of the top 15 nominated films from the 2012 entries. The curriculum promotes digital responsibility and is available at no cost to schools, thanks to talented youth filmmakers and sponsors of the NO BULL Challenge.

About the Great American NO BULL Challenge and NO BULL Teen Video Awards:
The NO BULL Challenge and NO BULL Teen Video Awards promote social responsibility, a positive school climate and social action using the power of music and film. The campaign’s national partners include, National Organization for Youth Safety, iSafe, FCCLA, 4-H, Bully The Movie and The Bully Project, HealthCorps, Project Change, Business Professionals of America, SADD, The California Endowment, among others.

About the Teen Spokespeople:
Zoe Oz–teen blogger and co-author, along with her father, Dr. Mehmet Oz, of “YOU: The Owner’s Manual for Teens.”

Zach Veach–turned to auto racing after being bullied in school. Zach is part of the Andretti Autosport in INDYCAR’s Star Mazda Championship series.

Nicole Edgington–a cyberbullying survivor and inspiration for the NO BULL Challenge.

Paige Logan–4-H Representative at the annual National Bullying Summit in Washington, D.C. Paige talks about her own experience with being cyberbullied.

Scott Hannah and Tyler Gregory, dubbed the NO BULL Guys–they’ve been promoting their anti-bullying message at the National Anti-Bullying Summit in Washington D.C., during school assemblies, online and in media appearances throughout their home state of Ohio.

About Shawn Edgington:
Shawn Edgington is the founder of the Great American NO BULL Challenge and the NO BULL Teen Video Awards. She is the President of the Cyber Safety Academy and the CEO of a national insurance company. A leading cyber safety expert, Shawn is the author of the best selling book, “The Parent’s Guide to Texting, Facebook and Social Media: Understanding the Benefits and Dangers of Parenting in the Digital World.”

Media Contact:
Suzanne Spurgeon
Suzanne@WomenMediaPros.com
323-656-1536