Today's kids, no matter their age, are facing a whole range of feelings from self-doubt to depression. They're juggling what their friends and family expect from them, trying to do well in school, and even trying to fit into society's idea of what's beautiful. It's a lot for anyone to handle.
A Roswell based nonprofit organization called Be THE Voice (BTV), which was created in 2015 to defuse bullying, continues to empower young people to be upstanders for kindness and inclusion. The program, which is now available in schools across Georgia, was founded by Roswell Rotary Club members Debbie Cwalina and Michael Schoppenhorst.
“I read a disturbing article about the increase in adolescent suicide due to cyberbullying”, explained Cwalina. “Having grown up with a sibling who struggled socially, I knew how hard kids could be on someone who was a little ‘different.’ To learn that kids were resorting to suicide to escape the pain angered me to my core. I knew I had to do something.”
The Roswell Rotary Club was willing to help.
“Our group supports many local charities, but I count it as a special part of my year as President that I could participate in the launch of BTV by providing some of the initial seed money needed to breathe life into this mission,” said Jim Coyle.
Be THE Voice has morphed into a 5 month student-driven movement that inspires students to “Do what is right, not what is easy” by equipping them with the interpersonal skills to become a “voice” of kindness and inclusion within their schools and communities. The initiative revolves around a weekly video series that uses impactful messages from kids, social media influencers, athletes, entertainers, and entrepreneurs. They share first-hand experiences on a variety of topics like bullying, feeling left out, anxiety, mental health, stereotypes, ethnicity and more. They include tips and advice plus they issue a call-to-action. The program also includes upbeat networking activities to drive home the important messaging.
And it’s working. “One of our largest school districts reported a significant decrease in bullying incidents in all three of our program levels comparing 2022 to 2023,” said Cwalina. “Educators and counselors continue to tell us how the program is shaping students' mindset and giving them confidence.”
Be THE Voice is important to the world because it offers a safe and creative space for change makers,” expressed Jahkil Jackson, founder of Project I Am and BTV ambassador. “I benefited from the program a great deal because of the exposure and network that the opportunity allowed for me as I made my mark in the social entrepreneurial space.”
“Be THE Voice has helped me create change for future generations,” added Justin Sather of Justin’s Frog Project and BTV ambassador. “Because of BTV, I was able to collect hundreds of letters from kids who saw my message and wanted to help. Those letters were given to world leaders at the United Nations Conferences to convince them to protect 30% of the planet by 2030.”
Be THE Voice is not just a program. It’s become a way of life.
For more information on how to bring the program to your school or be featured in the videos, check out be-the-voice.org
They're juggling what their friends and family expect from them, trying to do well in school... It's a lot for anyone to handle
