A Suicide and Bullying Awareness Program

1
Project Life

• A Suicide and Bullying Awareness Program

2
This Is Not The End

• Watch this video
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vLjGjEG7Zl0E

3
Project Life In a Nutshell

• Project Life was started in 2000 by a group of
  concerned Key Club members who noticed a problem
  with suicide and bullying.
• Today, it is our current district project with
  many passionate members participating.
• The main purpose of Project Life is to educate
  the youths of Montana through suicide and
  bullying awareness while showing them the
  importance and value of each persons life.

4
Problems With Suicide

• Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the
  United States.
• Suicide ranks third as a cause of death among
  ages 15-24 behind accidents and homicides.
• Montana is currently ranked 2nd in the nation for
  the most suicides per capita.
• Every 16 seconds, somebody attempts suicide.
  Every 16 minutes, somebody succeeds.
• The risk of suicide is increased by more than 50
  with depression.

5
Adults and Suicide

• Suicide is the 4th leading cause of death of ages
  18-65 with 27,321 suicides per year.
• An older adult commits suicide every 101 minutes
  (thats 14 adults per day!)
• Older adults attempt suicide less than any other
  age group, but they have the highest completion
  rate.
• SUICIDE IS NOT JUST A TEENAGE PROBLEM!!!

6
What Key Clubs are doing

• Throughout the Montana District, many Key Clubs
  have taken an
• active role in Project Life by being heroes in
  their schools hallways
• by raising awareness of suicide and bullying.

WHAT KEY CLUBS ARE DOING
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Project Life Week

• Project Life week is a week where Key Clubs focus
  on
• suicide and bullying awareness by doing service
  projects focusing
• on both the issue the and the value each persons
  life.
• Project Life Week is officially held in February,
• clubs pick the week that works best for them
• to participate.

8
Project Life Projects

• Flyers
• Speakers
• Ghost Outs
• Gift/ Handouts
• Days where you celebrate life
• Participating within suicide
• coalitions or coalition activity
• The Little Things

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What are some Little Things?

• Holding the door for someone.
• Talking to someone you dont normally talk to.
• Giving or donating to something new.
• Saying hello to someone you see in public.
• Go out of your way to do something nice for
  someone.
• Be polite and have manners.

10
Hero In The Hallway

• Hero in the Hallway is a program recently created
  by the
• Montana Key Club District Board in hopes make
  it
• easier to bring Project Life into schools by
  primarily
• targeting bullying.
• The Project Life committee is in the progress of
• creating individual presentation programs
• and resources specially designed for students
  
• of all ages.
• Our main mission with Hero In The Hallway is to
  inform students
• that they can easily be a hero and make a
  difference simply
• by standing up for someone and choosing not to
  bully others.

11
Bullying Statistics

• 60 of boys who were bullies in middle school had
  at least one conviction by age 24.
• 40 had three or more convictions. (Olweus,
  1993)
• Montana is one out of the 10 states without state
  bullying laws in action.
• Many students question the commitment of teachers
  and administrators to stopping bullying.
• - 35 believed teachers were interested in
  stopping bullying.
• - 25 believed administrators were interested
  in stopping bullying. (Harris et al., 2002)

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How can I help my sponsored Key Club?

• Help them talk to their administration.
• Help sponsor a Builders Club or K-Kids.
• Utilizing your Kiwanis Clubs resources.
• Interclub activities.

13
Why help with Project Life?

• If you are active, you can understand the issue
  and the
• people youre working with better.
• You can help break the age and service barriers
• between Kiwanis and Key Club, and service can
  finally
• reach its fullest potential.
• If you are present, you show you care.
• Caring is a way of all of our lives, we are all
  serving for the same reasons, we are a K-Family.

14
Useful Resources

• http//mtkeyclub.org/Project20Life/Project20Life
  
• .html
• http//www.afsp.org
• http//suicidology.org
• http//suicidology.org/web/guest/stats-and
• tools/factsheets
• http//www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov

15
Just A Final Note

• If you or someone you know is contemplating
  suicide,
• take it seriously and get help!!!!!!
• Warning signs may include
• - Ideation
  -Anger
• - Substance Abuse - Rapid Mood
  Chang
• - Withdrawal -
  Anxiety or Agitation
• Call 1-800-273-TALK or tell someone who is
  trustworthy and
• able to help.
• Your life DOES matter.