Pink Shirt Day - February 28, 2024

Inspired by an act of kindness in a small Nova Scotian town, Pink Shirt Day has bloomed from its humble origins in 2007 into a global movement against bullying. The tradition is now being practiced in over 25 countries and has been recognized by the United Nations. Pink Shirt Day has become a global call to action as schools, communities, and workplaces are flooded with pink, uniting in kindness and in solidarity against bullying.

“David Shepherd, Travis Price and their teenage friends organized a high-school protest to wear pink in sympathy with a Grade 9 boy who was being bullied [for wearing a pink shirt]…[They] took a stand against bullying when they protested against the harassment of a new Grade 9 student by distributing pink T-shirts to all the boys in their school. ‘I learned that two people can come up with an idea, run with it, and it can do wonders,’ says Mr. Price, 17, who organized the pink protest. ‘Finally, someone stood up for a weaker kid.’ So Mr. Shepherd and some other headed off to a discount store and bought 50 pink tank tops. They sent out message to schoolmates that night, and the next morning they hauled the shirts to school in a plastic bag. As they stood in the foyer handing out the shirts, the bullied boy walked in. His face spoke volumes. ‘It looked like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders,’ Mr. Price recalled. The bullies were never heard from again.”

Some of the Canadian programs promoting Pink Shirt Day, and kindness and inclusion for all children, are:

• CKNW Kids highlighting the theme of: “Lifting Each Other Up” https://www.pinkshirtday.ca/
• The WITS Program highlighting the theme of:  “Sprinkle Kindness” https://pinkshirtdaycanada.ca/

Families have access to Digital Safety Sessions offered by ERASE BC (Expect Respect and Safe Education). Digital support information/websites are also available to help parents start conversations with their kids about online safety and kindness.

Families are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the online safety information as well as the ERASE Report IT tool found on District and school websites. If bullying does occur, it is important to address it quickly and provide support.

ERASE is all about building safe and caring school communities. This includes empowering students, parents, educators, and community partners who support them to get help with challenges, report concerns to schools, and learn about complex issues facing students.

• Read about the work erase has been doing
• Register for erase training

Tools for digital safety for parents:

• Safer Schools Together – Social Media Parents Checklist
• Cyberwise  – Sample – Family Tech Agreement

Regardless of size or presence, whether in person or online, everyone could be battling unseen challenges – which is why the core message of Pink Shirt Day remains simple yet profound: Be Kind!