Rock the pink on Feb. 24 to combat bullying

The Werklund Youth Leadership Centre (WYLC) wants students, faculty and staff to wear pink on Feb. 24 in a show of solidarity against bullying.

Donning pink as a demonstration against bullying began in 2007 when two high school students in Nova Scotia learned that a Grade 9 boy in their school had been harassed for wearing a pink shirt. The two students distributed 50 pink tank tops to their classmates as a declaration that bullying would not be tolerated.

WYLC director Brittany Harker Martin says that this undertaking is a good illustration of the positive influence youth can have on important issues.

“The WYLC is involved in this anti-bullying campaign because the initiative is a powerful example of a youth-led movement that has inspired peer leadership. The WYLC wants to encourage WSE students — and students across campus — to be leaders. By wearing a pink shirt on Feb. 24, our students show that they identify as a youth leader and are committing to the vision of addressing bullying.”  

For those who do not have any pink in their wardrobe, the WYLC is selling a limited number of shirts for $10 apiece from Jan. 13 to Feb. 5.  To keep costs reasonable, the WYLC is subsidizing the price of the T-shirts.

While this year’s campaign is modest in scale, Martin says she hopes to cover the campus in pink in 2017.

Visit WYLC for more information.  

The Werklund Youth Leadership Centre designs, leads, advocates for, and connects to initiatives that support youth leaders and fosters youth leadership knowledge, skills, and abilities.