VBSD to welcome anti-bullying speaker Josh Drean
Monday, January 7, 2019 8:29 am
Josh Drean, recognized as one of the most entertaining and prolific youth speakers in the nation, will visit Van Buren on Wednesday, January 9, as part of his “Defeat Bullying Positively” tour. Drean will share a fresh perspective on how to eliminate bullying in schools with students in grades six and up.
“A lot of anti-bullying programs and speakers focus on the negatives, like abuse and suicide,” Drean says. “Research shows that when we focus on the negatives, the results are negative. My program seeks to reinforce positive behaviors in students by inspiring them to choose to be kind and respectful.”
In the past year, Drean has been featured on NBC Morning News, FOX News and has reached more than 100,000 students across the United States and Canada. He delivers his encouraging message to over 150 schools and student events each year and is instrumental in developing bullying curriculum for several organizations such as the Student Safety Advocacy Council (SSAC), Counseling and Psychology Services (CAPS), and Youth to Youth International (Y2Y).
Drean uses an entertaining combination of beatboxing, interactive activities, and engaging stories from his days as an unlikely college cheerleader and school mascot to teach students an important message. “The purpose of a mascot is to stand as an ideal for people to rally behind, to represent something bigger than yourself,” Drean states. “Students learn to stand up and represent themselves and others in their social interactions.” Drean focuses on developing empathy, resiliency and self-respect in students to help them turn bullying experiences into a positive learning opportunity.
“We are excited for our students to hear Josh Drean’s wonderful message about kindness and respect,” said VBSD Communications Coordinator, Brittany Ransom. “His energetic and engaging presentations will help reinforce our district’s commitment to anti-bullying and help teach students about the importance of making positive choices.” Students grades six and up will attend presentations by Drean. The event will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the Van Buren Fine Arts Center and continue on to Butterfield and Northridge Middle Schools that afternoon.
To learn more about Josh Drean, visit his YouTube Channel, or follow him on Facebook, @JoshDreanSpeaker.
