Two foundations get in line to combat online bullying

“There aren’t a lot of community resources invested in this new challenge” of cyber-bullying, says Chris Sweeney, board member of the Marcus L. Ruscitto Charitable Foundation.

That’s why Ruscitto family members — the late Marcus was founder and CEO of Stargate Industries — decided to team with The Pittsburgh Foundation to create a new $50,000 regional initiative to combat bullying, and particularly the variety that sometimes plagues the Internet.

Sweeney says it will be the six-year-old Ruscitto foundation’s signature issue.

In November, the foundations will convene up to 400 local educators, school counselors and administrators to hear Dr. Adolph “Doc” Brown, III. The inspirational anthropologist, who is a psychology and education faculty member at Hampton University, brings a message for students about how bullying can affect other kids, and how very serious the issue ought to be among students today. And he does that, at least partly, through song and dance. He addresses the bullies, the victims, and the bystanders, who do not feel confident enough to seek help.

Sweeney says the foundations will then solicit educators to submit creative ideas to stanch the flow of bullying in our schools, and will give funding to selected school districts to implement the best ideas.

“Hopefully then,” he concludes, “we’ll be able to announce any new ideas that have emerged.”

Writer: Marty Levine

Source: Chris Sweeney, Marcus L. Ruscitto Charitable Foundation