Samantha Ellis, East Middle School                                      Total Grant Awarded: $2,500

Upstander is a program developed by Defeat the Label, a Michigan-based non-profit that works to end bullying by putting power in the form of information and strategies in the hands of students. In this year-long program, an educator from Defeat the Label comes to the school each month to work with groups of students on a variety of topics related to bullying. There are 8 lessons total that facilitate the development of leadership abilities, critical thinking skills, and bullying intervention. Facilitators work with four groups of 30 students each year, for a total reach of 120 students per year of the program. Students who participate in Upstander are selected by staff and include students with leadership potential and students who are identified as possible aggressors in bullying situations. Facilitators come once per month and work with each group for one hour for a total of 32 hours of intervention.