BECKER – “DO THE RIGHT THINK”

With a number of anti-bullying campaigns introduced into Clark County schools recently, we were given an opportunity to help Becker Middle School develop a campaign that would be theirs alone. A campaign custom-tailored with the help of a select group of students representing their school, and guided by their insights and driven by their input. Through brainstorm sessions and collaboration, we identified areas where bullying was taking place and worked to problem-solve ways to counter it and help students “flip the script.”

With some 88 percent of teens having access to a smartphone, social media is a big part of middle school students’ lives. They spend an average of 2.6 hours a day on social media. This became our focus; finding ways to get students engaged in the campaign where they lived – on their phones and tablets. We landed on an idea that stuck, with a tagline that calls for students to do something, and a way for them to do it − #DoTheRightTHINK. They can now support each other and call out those who are bullying. Graphically, we also incorporated an emoji, the thought bubble found on every smartphone keypad, and turned it into a rallying call for students to use in celebrating acts of kindness they see.

This new campaign lives easily around school and in the digital space. It has a call to action that is easy to do. And, it makes a bold statement with a sense of accountability. Best of all, teachers, students and their parents are embracing the campaign in a way that has never happened before at the school.