East Central Mental Health and the Troy University Counseling Department have worked with the local school systems in recent years through the Bully Proof Project in hopes of creating awareness and educating students, faculty members, families and community members about bullying.

“The goal of the Bullyproof Project is to educate the community on how everyone can play a part in helping prevent bullying,” said Teresa Kidd, ECMH Community Outreach Coordinator.

“This year’s Bullyproof Project sponsored a Bully Awareness Poster Contest. Students in grades K-12 from all county and city schools in Pike County were invited to create a poster with the theme of ‘Bully Awareness.’” There were 563 entries in the “Bully Awareness” contest. The top three winners in the contest were recognized with cash awards.

Caden Bryan, ninth grade, Charles Henderson High School, was the first place winner in the 2016 Bully Awareness Poster Contest for his poster titled “Embracing Positive Words.”  As the first-place winner, Bryan received $100.  Tabitha Parks, tenth grader at Charles Henderson High School, won second place in the poster contest and received $50. The title of Parks’ poster was “Hiding Behind Words.”  Charlotte Walden is the art teacher at CHHS. Brock Kelly is the principal. Third place honors and a $25 prize went to Kiley Sandoval, an eighth-grader at Charles Henderson Middle School, for “Wrongs or Rights.” Tiana S. McWhite is the CHMS counselor. Aaron Brown III is the school principal. The collected works will be displayed throughout the year around Pike County. Latesha Knight, ECMH and Kidd, administer the Bullyproof program through ECMH.