Our Preps make news! From the Lake County Reporter

Cadets take stand against bullying

Posted: Nov. 18, 2013

Middle school cadets at St. John's Northwestern Military Academy (SJNMA) put on their walking shoes for a good cause last week: to be proactive in the fight against bullying.

Middle school cadets in computer class were all set to start their cyberbullying unit when they developed an idea. Inspired by recent events in the news, the cadets began asking what they could do to prevent bullying in schools. "The discussion we had wasn't just hypothetical; I could hear it in their voices," said Amy Karsten, technology instructor and director of middle school at SJNMA. "It was very real for them. They didn't just want to watch a movie and talk about it; they wanted to take action."

Together with their teacher, cadets created an event called "Walk a Mile in My Shoes." On Nov. 13, each cadet partnered with another to walk a mile on the campus track. Before each lap, cadets received a discussion topic for their walk on themes such as characteristics of leadership, family life, interests and hopes and dreams. After cadets walked a mile together, they took on the campus obstacle course to increase their sense of teamwork and cooperation.

"We want to teach kids that when you put people down, they could hurt themselves because of what you do," said Cadet Zach Craig. "We figured that most people don't bully kids they know and like, but the problem is, people don't really know each other. They stick to their own groups of friends. We developed this event to help cadets get to know each other."

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, "Kids who are bullied can experience negative physical, school and mental health issues. Kids who are bullied are more likely to experience depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, increased health complaints, decreased academic achievement, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy."

"Bullying is a serious problem in schools today. These boys know it; they have seen it in their lives. They know people who have been bullied, and they want to make it stop. This project started out as a discussion on cyberbullying, and has led to so much more. I'm really proud that our middle school is bringing awareness to this topic, but I'm even more impressed by our cadets' call to action and ability to create an impactful event," said Karsten.

• In addition to planning the event, cadets created a promotional video and gave presentations to their fellow classmates.

Added note from Parents Club:  Thank you to the families that brought hot chocolate, cinnamon rolls, donuts and treats on such short notice to support this event.  Some parents even participated in the walk with the cadets.  Your extra efforts were very much appreciated by the organizers and the cadets.