LEWISTON – Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence Executive Director Steve Wessler welcomed members of the Lewiston-Auburn community at a recent reception held at the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce offices.

Wessler described the center’s work with students and staff at Lewiston and Edward Little high schools and the cities’ middle schools, which participate in the Unity Project, an intensive, multi-year school harassment prevention program.

Created to engage the entire school community in supporting positive changes in its culture, the Unity Project is made up of workshops that identify the roles that students, teachers and administrators can each play in turning the cultures of their schools away from this bias, harassment and violence and toward unity, respect and safety.

The chamber and the firm of Bonneau and Geismar hosted the reception for the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence in Portland. The center is a nonprofit organization that develops and implements training and educational programs to prevent bias, harassment and violence. For more information, visit www.preventinghate.org.