JAY — Spruce Mountain High School will be a pilot school for the Bystander Project, an anti-harassment and violence-prevention initiative created to achieve the maximum effect on Maine high schools, North Campus Principal Gilbert “Specs” Eaton said Thursday.

“We will be working with the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault, which is the lead organization,” he told RSU 73 directors. “The program trains between 30 to 40 students with a variety of backgrounds to be leaders in their schools and communities by speaking out against and confronting abusive behaviors and attitudes.”

Staff at the North Campus in Jay are trying to create a civil rights team, Eaton said.

An application for an Oak Grove Foundation Grant has been submitted to cover materials, promotions and activity expenses.

Currently there is no stipend provided for an adviser at the high school levels, but Eaton said he believes there is a stipend available at the middle school.

“I would like to use this opportunity to appeal to the board to consider the value of approving a co-curricular stipend at each school campus to support this valuable program,” Eaton said.

“We have issues with our student populations (harassing, bullying and cyber-bullying behaviors around disability, race and sexuality) that would benefit from an orchestrated student body effort to counteract these behaviors with education, teamwork, safety and peer support,” he said.

Civil rights training is being offered on Friday, Oct. 28, at the University of Maine at Farmington.

“We can get faculty and some students to attend, but to implement that training will require significant time and commitment during, before and after school,” Eaton said.

The board took no action on the proposal.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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