Bully reporting app being piloted at Sudbury schools

The Rainbow District School Board inSudburyis piloting anapp that allows students and parents to provide schools with anonymous information on student safety and bullying through a text message, phone call or web-chat.

The Stand Up, Speak Out mobile application provides school administrators with daily anonymous reports so they can follow up. The Rainbow board said if a report is received after 4 p.m., it will besent to the school on the following weekday morning.

BruceBourget,a superintendent with the Rainbow District School Board, saidthe schools are trying to tap into a technology kids are comfortable with.

"A wide variety of students have these types of devices on them and that they like to use them, so we are trying to tapinto the potential for good in these devices," he said.

The Stand Up, Speak Out app also provides a list of community contacts and agencies for students and parents, including theSudbury& District Health Unit, GreaterSudburyPolice Service, and resources for mental health and addiction.

Students and parentsof participating schools candownload the app fromiTunes and for Android orGoogle Play by searching RS Stand Up Speak Out.

JasonTurnbull, host of Up North on CBC Radio One spoke with BruceBourget:

Up North6:06School board pilots a bullying app

The Rainbow District School Board in Sudbury is piloting a phone application in schools from Manitoulin Island to Sturgeon Falls in an effort to improve student safety.

Participating schools include A.B. Ellis Public School, Alexander Public School, Central Manitoulin Public School, Larchwood Public School, Lasalle Secondary School, Lockerby Composite School, Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School and Markstay Public School.

This pilot project is part of our ongoing efforts to maintain safe learning and teaching environments for all students and staff in Rainbow Schools, said Director of Education NormBlaseg.

It encourages students to stand up and speak out in order to make a difference in their school community.