SaskTel is gearing up for the new school year with its “I Am Stronger” program. In partnership with the Ministry of Education, SaskTel is encouraging youth to apply for a grant and help build awareness about bullying, such as for a group based at Haig School.
I Am Stronger is SaskTel’s social cause, working to put an end to bullying in our local communities and schools. The program is designed to influence the change needed to stop the activities of bullying and cyber-bullying both online and in local communities. As a socially responsible organization, SaskTel acknowledges that the products and services it sells may be used to conduct bullying activities.
A beneficiary of this program is the Random Acts of Kindness group at Haig School in Weyburn.
“The reason why I encourage other students to apply for the I Am Stronger grant is because if they have a small anti-bullying club, it can get bigger and they can support more people and do more things for other people,” said Sarge McGowan, a student at Haig School.
With the help of a $535 grant, they were able to expand their “RAK (Random Acts of Kindness) Pack” club in order to perform more random acts of kindness for kids in their school and members of the community.
“Bullying of any kind is unacceptable in our schools and we’re pleased to continue our work with SaskTel’s I Am Stronger program,” Education Minister Don Morgan said.
“As school starts again for the year, I encourage all students to think about how they can be leaders in their community. We’ve seen many student groups create positive change through SaskTel’s I Am Stronger grant program and I hope that even more students will get involved this year.”
The I Am Stronger website houses information about the grant program, and most importantly has a thorough section dedicated to resources for kids, teenagers, families, and educators. It also includes the ability for victims of bullying or cyber-bullying to get help and report bullying activity safely.
“Since the program launched in 2014, we are excited to have offered 27 grants to date totaling $25,735,” said Ron Styles, SaskTel President and CEO.
“We are pleased to assist with empowering our youth to turn their ideas into actions that positively influence social change in schools, communities, and online.”
As students head back to school this September, SaskTel encourages youth to consider putting in a grant application on the I Am Stronger website. Grants of up to $1,000 for youth-led initiatives that promote kindness and address the issue of bullying and cyber-bullying will be awarded, and past grant recipients are encouraged to re-apply each year.
“We look forward to seeing this program grow, and assisting many more youth-led initiatives in the future. So please, tell your friends and family. We hope to see your grant application soon,” added Styles.
