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TORONTO – The Toronto Argonauts Football Club is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its impactful and award-winning Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program. Presented by Tim Hortons, Huddle Up is a multi-component program that involves active student engagement and powerful testimonials by an Argos player and staff at a school-wide assembly. For 2011, Argos players including Matt Black, Tristan Black, Cory Boyd, Jeremaine Copeland, Joe Eppele, Ricky Foley and Jordan Younger will participate in the Huddle Up program.
The Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program uses the personal stories of Toronto Argonauts football players to encourage friendship and inclusion, and reduce or eradicate bullying. Annually, the Huddle Up program reaches close to 30,000 students, and 700 of their parents with an impactful message that was developed in conjunction with the Canadian Safe School Network. Over the last decade, Huddle Up has reached over 250,000 students across the G.T.A. ranging in age from 8-18. In 2009, the Huddle Up program became recognized on the Ministry of Education’s Registry of Bullying Prevention Programs. The Argonauts are the only Canadian sports team to have a program registered.
Before the assembly, Argos staff help establish the Huddle Up Student Committee at each of the 30 participating schools. The committee, which is made up of identified bullies, victims and popular students, is empowered to positively impact their school environment by enhancing awareness on the issue of bullying in their school community before, during and after the Toronto Argonauts presentation. Following the one hour presentation that focuses on the bystander and positive choices, the committee is left to the guidance of the school advisor to continue the positive messaging.
Later in the school year, the committee and school advisor are invited to the Huddle Up Student Summit. Entering its fifth year, the summit provides students from different schools the opportunity to share ideas and brainstorm with other school committees to address the global issue of bullying.
In 2010, the Argonauts added a cyber-bullying component to discussions to address one of the top issues as identified by school administrators. Positive use of social networks is now encouraged through the growing community of students on facebook.com/ArgosFootball. In 2008, the Argos also added a female-only session with an Argos cheerleader. The female assemblies now reach 20 schools annually.
For a complete list of Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program school visits until the end of February, please click here.