Author and international speaker Tom Thelen will make a presentation to students in grades 5–12 Thursday, Nov. 29, with an additional evening presentation at 7 p.m. for the community.
All presentations will take place in the Wayland Union Fine Arts Center at 870 E. Superior St. Free child care will be available for children age 10 and under.
Thelen is founder of the Victimproof Bullying Prevention Program, a curriculum that helps kids speak up to bullying and become a positive influence at their schools.
“A new study by the U.S. Department of Education shows that 30% of sixth-graders experience bullying on a regular basis,” said Thelen “And by the time they reach 12th grade, that number is reduced to 15%, which is still way too high,” he said. “If we’re ever going to reduce bullying, we have to give kids practical skills for how to handle it and how to get help.”
Thelen has spoken at more than 500 schools, colleges and youth organizations. His message helps schools create a positive culture and shows students how to “be the change.”
Thelen has been featured on FOX, CBS, PBS, The National Association of Student Councils, The National Honor Society, as well as Student Conferences for 4-H, FFA, FCCLA and YMCA.
In his book, “Victimproof – The Student’s Guide to End Bullying,” Thelen wrote, “You can’t control whether or not you get bullied, but you can control whether or not you become a victim.”
As a student, Thelen was bullied and he got caught in a cycle of victimization. One teacher stepped in and helped him develop the character needed to break free from bullying. “It was a total change of mindset,” said Thelen. “I used to carry grudges with anyone who would bully me, but I learned that bitterness was only bringing me down. The thing that changed my life was realizing that my response was totally up to me, and even if I was victimized, I didn’t have to stay a victim forever.”
It’s a message that empowers students to speak up for themselves and for others. Thelen’s follow-up curriculum at victimproof.org includes 30 short video lessons along with a Teacher’s Guide with lesson plans for each video.
“My video lessons go way beyond the typical ‘Don’t be a bully message,’” said Thelen. “Kids have heard that message many times, and it’s a good message, but they need to be taught the principles that help prevent bullying in the first place. Thing like respect, responsibility, and resiliency.”
He went on to describe how resiliency helps students bounce back from bullying.
“It may have hurt you in the past, and that’s real, but when you talk it out with a trusted adult you learn how to break free. For me, when I let go of the bitterness, bullying let go of me. I discovered that even if someone else went out of control, I could stay in control,” said Thelen.