www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, November 27, 2014 | 24 Kids 4 Kids dishes out anti-bullying smarts by Abigail Cukier Special to the Beaver When Scott Graham started working with youths in Halton, many told him stories of being bullied. When he looked for help in the community, Graham didn't find a lot. So he did something about it. Graham started a kids club at Frontenac Public School in Burlington. It started with 15 kids and quickly grew to 179. That was 1993. Today, 22,000 children throughout Halton, the Greater Toronto Area and southwestern Ontario have been through Graham's Kids 4 Kids Leadership programs. In addition to the After-school Leadership Program and bullyfreeME assemblies, Graham also runs summer leadership day camps and overnight camps. "Kids 4 Kids provides opportunities for kids to develop leadership skills and learn ways to deal with anger, bullying and peer pressure, but in a way that they are also having fun," said Graham, who is also a parttime educational assistant with the Halton District School Board. The programs run after school or in the evenings, once a week for five weeks and are designed for children ages six to 13. Graham uses cooperative games, team Scott Graham runs leadership and anti-bullying programs at schools. This is one of the after-school programs at Forest Trail Public School for Grades 2,3, and 4 students. Pictured, from left, are: Ajay Sankar, 8; Christopher Tautrims, 8; Graham; Sebastien Jakaitis, 9; and his sister Audrey Jakaitis, 7. | photo by Graham Paine Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/ HaltonPhotog) building activities, music and stories. Children learn about topics including the characteristics of a leader; anti-bullying and anger management strategies; peer pressure; goal setting; and Internet safety. "The best defence against bullying is confidence. We also give them the tools so if something does happen, they have the confidence to deal with it," Graham said, adding that other programs can be helpful, but mostly deliver messages like `bullying is bad' and to stand up for others without providing specific strategies. "Schools are at an awareness level. They have posters and assemblies, but no consistent strategies. One school can be doing brilliant things and another might do nothing," Graham said. "My goal is to go to the Ministry of Education to help develop a framework, so that all schools are speaking the same language and have specific things to teach." In the meantime, Graham is trying to reach one child at a time. Like when Graham encouraged a boy who was teased for wanting to be an actor. That boy now has a successful acting career. Or the student with a learning disability who waited in the hall to tell Graham that it helped to hear him share his own experience with a learning disability. see Anti-bullying on p.33 Personalized Tree Care in Oakville GET YOUR TREES PREPARED FOR HAVE YOUR TREES ASSESSED PLATINUM Call Storybook to assess your Trees Today 905-491-6860 GIFT THAT LASTS ALL YEAR! Open Daily in December ANNUAL PASSES $99.95 Rides · Games · Free Shows and MORE! INSIDE WOODBINE CENTRE 500 REXDALE BLVD AT HWY 27. FANTASYFAIR.CA THE