WAKEFIELD — Executive Director Margie Daniels of The Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) is thrilled to announce details of the upcoming conference, Attendance Today for Success Tomorrow: Combating Bullying & Harassment.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell and Acting Commissioner of Education Dr. Russell D. Johnston will headline the speakers who will present at The Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth’s Oct. 1 hybrid conference.
WHEN
Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024
Registration: 8:15-8:45 a.m.
Conference: 8:45 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
WHERE
Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School, 758 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA 02421, or via Zoom
WHAT
A hybrid conference — Attendance Today for Success Tomorrow: Combating Bullying & Harassment — will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 1, at Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School in Lexington and via Zoom for those who wish to participate remotely. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Students who are targets of bullying face a hostile school environment that can cause physical or emotional harm, often leading to chronic absenteeism.
MPY’s hybrid conference addresses bullying and harassment’s impact on students’ learning and mental health. Participants will learn strategies to make their schools and classrooms safe and inclusive environments. This conference will address how schools can combat bullying and harassment from multiple perspectives.
State leaders Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell and Massachusetts Acting Commissioner of Education Russell D. Johnston will discuss the Commonwealth’s initiatives to provide safe and supportive schools where all children can learn.
Additional speakers include Alyndra (Lynn) Canty, the diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging coordinator for SPARK Kindness and a co-leader of the MetroWest Anti-Bullying Coalition; Paul Casey, the director of curriculum for humanities at Beverly High School; Suzanne Charochak, the superintendent of Beverly Public Schools; Dorothy Flaherty, the assistant superintendent of Beverly Public Schools; Christine Fortune Guthery, the founder and executive director for SPARK Kindness and a co-leader of the MetroWest Anti-Bullying Coalition; Michael J. Joyce, Esq., an attorney for a private law firm; Dr. Kenann McKenzie-DeFranza, a member of the Beverly School Committee; Gabrielle Montevecchi, principal of the Hannah Elementary School in Beverly; Dr. André Morgan, the director of opportunity, access and equity for Beverly Public Schools; and Maggi Price, an assistant professor in the School of Social Work at Boston College who runs the Affirm Lab.
Presenters will share the latest research around bullying prevention and community approaches to address bullying. Participants will learn Massachusetts laws about bullying and how these mandates impact school districts. School staff will discuss how they have implemented school policies and strategies to make their schools safe and inclusive student environments.
“Many conflicts and bullying situations stem from a lack of knowledge, understanding or experiences that differ from our belief system or personal experience,” said Beverly Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Dorothy Flaherty, Ed.D. “Positive and respectful conversations are a powerful tool to increase a sense of belonging for all by deepening an individual’s knowledge and understanding of varying perspectives, beliefs, cultures and traditions.”
Registration is open on MPY’s website, mpyinc.org. To register for a webinar or conference, use the “Webinars & Conferences” tab at the top of the website, or click here to register for the Oct. 1 conference.
Every MPY conference is recorded and available to registered participants through a link that remains live for seven days.
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education-approved Professional Development Points (PDPs) and Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are offered at no additional cost to participants who attend the Oct. 1 conference and the Oct. 8 conference, Attendance Today for Success Tomorrow: Addressing School Avoidance.
About the Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc.
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides training, fosters collaboration and develops programming to increase the health and safety of students. MPY is committed to bringing cutting-edge information and high-quality trainings to constituents and endeavors to provide solution-oriented, community-based, multi-disciplinary approaches to reducing and ideally eliminating risky behaviors for youth. MPY programming reaches nearly 6,000 educators per year in Massachusetts, spread across approximately 300 districts, with more than 150 webinars and over a dozen conferences.
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth is governed by a Board of Directors made up of school superintendents, police and fire chiefs, and other community leaders who work closely with MPY staff to deliver this mission. To learn more, visit: massachusettspartnershipsforyouth.com.
