Cyberbullying Ambassadors Program Comes to Sayville High

This Tuesday and Wednesday, AT&T, the Tyler Clementi Foundation and Siena College teamed up with New York State Assemblyman Andrew R. Garbarino and Sayville High School to host the AT&T and Siena Upstander Program, a new cyberbullying peer-to-peer prevention program utilizing trained Siena students to help educate students, teachers and school administrators on the growing cyberbullying epidemic and to provide workshops, tools and resources to combat it.

The AT&T and Siena Upstander Program grows out of the Upstate Cyberbullying Census survey conducted in late 2016 by the Siena College Research Institute, AT&T and the Tyler Clementi Foundation that measured the prevalence of cyberbullying among students, the awareness of this crisis among parents, and parents’ understanding of their children’s digital behaviors in New York. The staggering data from the study revealed more than 1 in 4 students in Upstate New York and another study indicated nearly half of all students in the New York City area have been a victim of cyberbullying. Those statistics, combined with feedback from schools requesting cyberbullying prevention programming, led AT&T, the Tyler Clementi Foundation and the Siena to collaborate on this public education campaign.

The objective of the program is to create an Upstander culture within Sayville High School, and other schools where the program is presented. Upstander is a popular phrase used in the anti-bullying space, and also used by AT&T and the Tyler Clementi Foundation, which encourages students to not simply be a bystander when they witness cyberbullying but, rather, to speak up, notify an adult and/or interrupt the negative behavior. Students were asked to take the Upstander pledge and promote it throughout the community.

The innovative program pairs Siena College students who have been trained as cyberbullying ambassador facilitators with high school students for peer-to-peer conversations, role playing exercises and workshops. The program at Sayville High School consisted of Siena students working with 25 selected student leaders for the first part of the school day in a workshop on how to be Upstander Ambassadors. At the end of the day, the Siena facilitators and the newly trained high school Upstander Ambassadors conducted two school-wide assembly programs the following day on Wednesday, April 11 to share best practices, build awareness of the danger of cyberbullying and promote the Upstander behavior and culture.

“The impact of cyberbullying on our youth has become pervasive and alarming. We simply can't allow this crisis to destroy more lives and families,” said Marissa Shorenstein, president, AT&T-Northeast Region. “In efforts to curb this negative behavior, AT&T has collaborated with leading organizations within the cyberbullying space to develop programs, including the AT&T and Siena Upstander Program, to give parents, educators and students the tools to combat this epidemic and help facilitate a dialogue that will to lead positive change in our communities.”

The AT&T and Siena Upstander Program also features a film produced by AT&T incorporating award-winning short films made by high school students from across the country at AT&T’s Cyberbullying Film Invitational in 2016. The film is based on the students’ own unique and personal experiences with cyberbullying and its devastating aftermath. The program is being offered free to high schools across the state through supporting organizations.

"We are thrilled to work alongside AT&T and the Tyler Clementi Foundation to empower high school students to share their stories, connect with Siena students on a peer to peer level, and become leaders of the Upstander movement in their schools and communities," said Don Levy, director of the Siena College Research Institute. "This program is at the heart of Siena’s mission as a Franciscan college and we are committed to assisting high school students, their parents, and schools to move from being victims and bystanders of cyberbullying to being Upstanders and ambassadors in combating this pervasive issue."

“I am very happy to partner with AT&T and Siena College to bring the Upstander program to Sayville,” said Assemblyman Garbarino. “If we are serious about putting a stop to cyberbullying, we must do everything in our power to initiate a culture change. Students should be encouraged to take action when they witness cyberbulling, and this program seeks to equip them with the tools to do so. If the Upstander program can inspire even just one student, a positive impact on our future will have been made.”

"Sayville High School is excited to take part in the AT&T and Siena College Upstander Program,” said Sayville High School Assistant Principal Jillian Makris. “Our students are looking forward to using the tools they learned from this innovative program and becoming empowered Upstander Ambassadors in the movement to end cyberbullying. It is our ultimate goal that our students can become peer leaders, and, in turn, impart the important lessons and strategies they will acquire with our younger students at the middle and elementary schools."

Working with the Tyler Clementi Foundation and Common Sense Media, AT&T has made addressing the rise of cyberbullying a priority. In addition to the AT&T and Siena Upstander Ambassador program to help teens and parents more safely navigate a connected world, AT&T created Digital You, a comprehensive public education resource offering tools, tips, apps, guidance and community education events for people of all ages and levels of online experience. It provides education about digital dilemmas and using the internet for a positive and safe outcome.

AT&T is also offering a groundbreaking AT&T-produced film, “There’s a Soul Behind That Screen,” and materials specifically designed for parents to recognize the warning signs and provide support for children who have experienced cyberbullying. A parent guide to accompany the film, including tips to safeguard children against cyberbullying produced by Common Sense Media, can be found at soulbehindthatscreen.org.

AT&T is also empowering teens to rise above online negativity and abuse through its social-first campaign, Later Haters. Influencers that teens love and trust will drive the movement on their social platforms – Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube. AT&T hopes to encourage young people to use their mobile devices as a force for good.