SchoolMessenger's Carter B. Myers to Present Steps to Address Bullying and School Safety at Auburn University Anti-Bullying Summit

LOS GATOS, Calif., July 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- SchoolMessenger, the leading provider of communication solutions for education, today announced that Carter B. Myers, vice president of anonymous communications solutions, has been invited to speak at the 2nd Annual Auburn University Anti-Bullying Summit. His presentation, "Practical Steps for Better Communication and Safer Schools (Creating a Culture of Dialogue)", which takes place July 12 at 11:25 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., will outline steps educators can take to create a learning environment that is safe and secure and one in which students feel comfortable speaking up about issues before they escalate. The conference takes place July 11-13 in Fairhope, AL.

"We believe the most effective intelligence in schools comes from the students themselves," said Mr. Myers, who developed SchoolMessenger's Talk About It service which enables students to text or online message school staff directly when threats arise. "When given the encouragement to report problems, and the tools to do so confidentially and discretely, experience shows that students will do the right thing and speak up to adults. My goal is to provide educators with actionable steps they can take to foster that dialogue and create a culture of open communications, thereby reducing the frequency of bullying on and around their campus."

The four practical steps Mr. Myers will discuss include:

• Define the Issue – Identify the problems most prevalent on campus and within social networking circles and realize that students may be well aware of subtle or under-the-radar issues that can only surface if adults are willing to listen.
• Change How Problems are Recognized - Look beyond traditional visual or audio cues, such as fighting or injuries, and place more value on understanding the environments in which students interact socially, such as text messaging, email and social networks.
• Establish Realistic Methods for Reporting – Create an environment in which students feel empowered to speak up and discuss their problems and concerns. They must be encouraged to report problems, and have easy access to tools to do so safely, without fear of embarrassment or reprisal from their peers.
• Develop Methods for Measuring Data – Create a process in which data gathered from students can help define the nature and type of problems that surface at any given school. Reporting can help schools allocate resources to most effectively deal with problems that are simmering today, or that are on the horizon but not yet visible to administrators.

SchoolMessenger offers a free white paper that outlines these steps. To download, or to learn more about the Talk About It anonymous communication service, visit http://talk.schoolmessenger.com.

About SchoolMessenger
SchoolMessenger is a leading provider of communication solutions for education. Thousands of school districts, public schools, colleges, universities, private schools and other educational facilities in all 50 states depend on the company's innovative solutions, including the SchoolMessenger notification service and Talk About It anonymous communication service. Founded in 1999, the company is headquartered in Los Gatos, California. For information, visit http://www.schoolmessenger.com or call 888.527.5225.

Media Contact:
Carleen LeVasseur
SchoolMessenger Public Relations
408-264-6767
[email protected]

SOURCE SchoolMessenger