SKSK/Task Force on Children & Families Year Round Initiatives

Strong Kids Safe Kids Stick2gether Against Bullying

Our Strong Kids Safe Kids Stick2gether Against Bullying" event was a united effort with the Chemung County Youth Bureau that launched on October 2, 2012. The project mission was to inspire, educate, and support students and the community to take a stand against bullying by “sticking together.” Recent research has shown that when kids, school staff, parents, and an empowering community stick together to create an endearing, positive school atmosphere bullying incidents can be reduced on an average of 50%.

The project featured free county-wide public performances by nationally known anti-bullying “Edu-tainer,” Jay Banks; the creation of an exciting, vibrant, kid-created public art installation called the “Stick2gether Spot" illustrating the “stick2gether” concept and a Community Block Party in Downtown Elmira sponsored by Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield & co-hosted by Elmira Downtown Development. Other project sponsors and participants included all three Chemung County School Districts. and several community organizations and businesses.

About Jay Banks: Jay's high-energy mix of music, slapstick comedy, and animated story-telling captivated both students and adults at 5 community and school performances held October 2nd and 3rd.  Age-appropriately framed for elementary school and middle school students, teachers, and parents, the program aimed to EMPOWER each victim, bystander, and stakeholder to decrease the frequency, severity, and pervasive nature of bullying in elementary through middle-school-aged students”. Read a front page article in the Elmira Star Gazette about Jay's Local performances, and visit his website to learn more about Jay and his I Am Unafraid program.

About the Art: All Chemung County area kids and families were invited to visit the "Stick2gehter Spot", sponsored by the Community Foundation of Elmira at 109 North main St. Elmira to learn more about Anti- Bullying and collaborate in the transformation of a downtown Elmira building into a vibrantly colored public art installation inspired by artist, Yayoi Kusama's, installation at the Queensland Museum of Art. Watch a great WENY video about the grand opening of the "Stick2gether Spot" on October 4th, and watch a video of the amazing transfromation.

We were thrilled and encouraged by enthusiasm and support of the Chemung County community that made this exciting, innovative, community-wide project possible.

Annual Youth Center Holiday Party

For the last six years SKSK joined forces with area businesses and organizations to host an annual holiday party for area youth center youth and staff. The event, funded by strong kids donations and area businesses, includes holiday treats, gifts for all, and a celebratory meal prepared by Holiday Inn chefs.

SKSK and Kohls Department Store "Go Green" at Southside Community Center

On Saturday, April 21st. Strong Kids Safe Kids and Kohls Department store teamed up to "Go Green 2gether" at the Southside Community Center as part of Earth Day weekend. Volunteers from the local Horseheads Kohls Dept. Store and the Strong Kids Safe Kids Committee helped the Center clean and prepare their raised garden beds, cleaning up and beautifying the grounds around the center to help the Center.

Elmira Rotary All Kids Play Place

The Task Force on Children and Families of Chemung County was proud to be a sponsor of the Elmira Rotary Club All Kids Play Place at Harris Hill Park. The Strong Kids donation helped purchase two new pieces of equipment geared towards toddlers and children with disabilities and providing them a greater opportunity for play at this facility.