Mt. Blue senior recognized by DOE for anti-bullying project

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Valerianne Hinkley and Senator Russel Black.

WILTON – A senior at Mt. Blue High School has been awarded the National 2018 George Washington Honor Medal by the Freedoms Foundation; the honor goes to those that go above and beyond in their communities on a day-to-day basis.

Valerianne Hinkley of Wilton, who is 17 years old in the class of 2020, was recognized for her anti-bullying campaign started in 2017. The campaign has reached international levels, according to a release from the Maine Department of Education, including being recognized by the national Bullying Project in Canada and has been invited over to the Italy headquarters should she be in the area for a visit.

Hinkley’s project, Be Bold Stand Up To Bullying, includes a post-it note locker project, posters and other initiatives that promote kindness. Hinkley also meets with groups that are interested in hearing her story in order to raise awareness about bullying. She shares resources such as how to report an incidence, and advocates for her peers to stand up to bullying.

Hinkley was also recognized by Senator Russell Black for her work.

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10 Comments

  1. Congratulations Valerianne. Your grampa would be so proud of you. I am sure he is smiling down on you. You have turned into a fine young lady. Keep your chin up and doing what you are as your community is proud of you too.

  2. Congratulations on winning and bringing needed attention to a very serious problem.

  3. Congrats Valerianne. We are so proud of you and how you turned a negative and hurtful situation into an empowering movement. To correct the information, She has been recognized by the national Bullying Project in addition to a separate anti bullying group in Canada and by another separate group in Italy along with several anti bullying groups in the USA. The National Pacer group sends Valerianne resources to also give out when she presents to groups. It has been a great experience to work with groups and make a difference. Valerianne has shown so much growth and leadership in doing all this work.

  4. Uncle Calvin and Grammy Laura :) sure are proud of your efforts. Keep up the great work.

  5. I had the opportunity to hear Miss Hinkley speak at a meeting with about 40 people present. Hearing her story and the work she has done should not go unnoticed. She has been an inspiration for many and should be very proud of what she has accomplished. Well done and congratulations.

  6. What an honor to be awarded the George Washington Honor Medal by the Freedoms Foundation as well as being recognized by Senator Black. Your work and effort are surely commendable.

  7. I was at a meeting held in Chesterville where Miss Hinkley spoke about bullying. She captured the attention of the audience while telling of her experiences of being bullied while in school and out of school. Seems that much bullying goes on in the local schools and not much seems to be done about it. The superintendent and four other board members were present at that meeting. Thank you Miss Hinckley for making people aware of this problem and for helping and supporting others that are being bullied. You might be the one to make a huge difference in their lives.

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