Goodie Spotlight: Power2Gether
Mar 22
A few months ago I was invited to take part in a discussion surrounding bullying. It astounded me to learn how many different types of bullying there are, and what young people are surrounded by daily at school, online and elsewhere. One of the guest speakers was Jeff Kovac from Power2Gether – a powerful initiative that aims to do more than just educate, but to take action against bullying and put an end to it, starting at the primary school level.
Jeff answered some our questions about Power2Gether and his goals for the future. Read on to see what he had to say!
LPG: Please explain briefly when and why you started Power2Gether.
JEFF: My partner, Dan Malka, started to conceptualize Power2Gether a little more than a year ago, after one of his 3 daughters was being bullied in school. Although the teachers and school administrators promised to alleviate the situation, ultimately, very little was done and the bullying continued. We decided that there was definitely sufficient “talk”, but a clear insufficient amount of “action”.
LPG: What makes Power2Gether’s approach to educating parents, educators and kids about bullying unique?
JEFF: We take a hands-on approach within the schools. We don’t focus on the negativity, but concentrate our efforts on promoting empathy, empowerment, self-awareness and honourable digital citizenship which is tied into the high tech/digital world most children live in today. Our approach also offers a continued presence within the schools, and not a 1 lecture or 1 rally throughout the academic year. Our curriculum, call 2 action, physical presence of visual material, as well as the educators who are a part of our team are a consistent, sustainable and constant presence. We’re not looking to just weed out bullying. We’re focusing on re-cultivating the culture of our schools to make them places for education in a tolerant environment.
JEFF: I’m not a specialist, and I don’t think 100 educators, specialists, or therapists would all agree that there is just “1″ specific thing parents should know about bullying prevention. The issue encompasses so many facets of a child’s life. However, being a parent myself and seeing what other parents have and are currently going through with regards to bullying situations with their own children, I would humbly suggest to be a “hands-on” parent. Get involved in your children’s lives. Create dialogue. Don’t talk down to them, but talk “to” them. Especially if a child is withdrawn or if you’re feeling that your child might be feeling depressed or intimidated. Preventing bullying is not an easy thing to do as a parent, so you need to empower your children with giving them the comfort level and feeling of security that they can talk to you and open up about what may be going on in school. Communication and open dialogue is a good way of getting problems solved swiftly and effectively.
LPG: What else would you like everyone to know about yourself and Power2Gether?
JEFF: President Eisenhower during The Great Depression was quoted as saying, “above all, try something.” I have lived my life with that motto, because it burns me inside that so many people today talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk. Dan and I are trying our best to bring our action plan to as many schools as possible so that we can help the students of today become healthy, caring, empathetic and civil people for tomorrow. We have recruited some incredibly talented academics and experienced educators onto our team so that we are surrounded by passionate, hard working specialists. Dan and I are both parents and are both passionate about leaving this world a better place for our own children. We also want to ensure that they have the abilities to “make” their future a good one, without needing us later on.
LPG: What goals do you want to achieve in the next 5 years?
JEFF: Within the next 5 years, Dan and I would like to see Power2Gether grow right across Canada as well into the United States. We’d like to create satellite offices in as many different regions as possible. Power2Gether was not ever intended just for Montreal (our local city). It is intended to share for all schools to take part in, no matter where they’re located.
Thank you Jeff for answering our questions and working so hard to put an end to bullying! We truly appreciate your efforts and can’t wait to see the difference you and your team will make!
Haley & The Little Party-Goers Team
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For more information on Power2Gether, visit:
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