LIHUE — The Kauai anti-bullying campaign grew Tuesday when public school principals received the Mauka to Makai message banners during the principals’ meeting at the Department of Education administrative offices in Lihue. “This is the next step,” said El Doi
LIHUE — The Kauai anti-bullying campaign grew Tuesday when public school principals received the Mauka to Makai message banners during the principals’ meeting at the Department of Education administrative offices in Lihue.
“This is the next step,” said El Doi of the Mauka to Makai committee who was on hand to help William Arakaki, the Kauai Area Complex Superintendent, distribute the banners. “Eventually, the goal of the committee is to see the end of bullying on Kauai.”
Clara Mackler of the Mauka to Makai committee said she would like to see the banners posted at the schools so students and parents can be reminded of the anti-bullying message.
“This is about community ownership,” Mackler said. “We are all responsible — adults, parents, and students. The adults need to be aware of their own behavior so they do not become role models to their children.”
She said the committee added the word “zone” to the anti-bullying message.
“Eventually, we want to see the entire island become bullying-free,” Mackler said. “It starts out with the school being an anti-bullying zone, but we want to see it spread to other parts of the community— businesses, restaurants, and more. The banner indicates that it is an anti-bullying zone.”
Doi said the initial push for the anti-bullying campaign started in 2014 when she, as a part of the state’s Department of Health, hosted a legislative forum on anti-bullying.
“We had no funds for this,” Doi said. “But our legislators felt this was serious enough, they donated the iPad prizes which resulted in the campaign logo and artwork. Laurie Yoshida of DuPont Pioneer felt the message was important enough that she made phone calls which resulted in the banners being presented to the schools.”
