“Be as gentle and kind as a dove to one another and do not bully anyone,” reads a poster made by a 4th-grader at PS 1 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. It was one of dozens of posters from 16 schools on display at UFT headquarters on May 21 for the awards ceremony of the UFT BRAVE program’s fifth annual video contest and the UFT’s Young Artists Unite Against Bullying poster contest. Students in elementary schools to high schools created posters and videos inspired by BRAVE’s anti-bullying theme. Educators, students and their families gathered for the display of art from schools around the city and a touching ceremony with winning videos and speakers. One 4th-grader from PS 1 said it was meaningful to gather with “the people she loves,” her “cousins, friends and teachers.” Students at IS 96 in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, created collages based on inspiring quotes and “loved seeing their artwork up,” said art teacher Erin-Marie Elman. “When you offer a positive experience, students don’t bully, they lift each other up,” she said. The Professional Performing Arts School in Manhattan placed first in the video contest; PS 119 in Flatlands, Brooklyn, placed second; and PS 133 in Park Slope, Brooklyn, was third.
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UFT student video and poster contest