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South Side Anti-Violence Advocate Seeks Community Support

 The play is about anti-bullying
The play is about anti-bullying
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Free Lunch Academy

ROSELAND — Spreading the message against bullying among teenagers is one Roseland man's goal, but he needs the public’s help to do it.

Calvin King is the founder and creative director of Free Lunch Academy, a school-based artistic outreach program that focuses on fighting bullying.

“Regardless of where you go to school or what grade you’re in, on some level, in some shape, form, or fashion, you are impacted either directly or indirectly by bullying related behaviors among your peers,” King said.

He said anyone can be a target regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender or age.

The programs are both entertaining and educational for students, teaching them ways to resolve issues around anger, resentment and threats of violence. The nonprofit is in more than 50 Chicago Public Schools and King wants to put the program in even more, particularly the ones in underserved communities.

 Calvin King launched a campaign to raise $15,000.
Calvin King launched a campaign to raise $15,000.
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Photo courtesy of Calvin King

He launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise $15,000 for the upcoming academic year to help expand the program into more schools, help with traveling, video editing, branding and student give-a-ways. The campaign ends Sunday.

“Most of the schools that have any type of challenge with finances or resources are the ones who need us the most, the schools in the underserved neighborhoods,” King said. “We don’t want financial constraints or lack of resources to be a hindrance to our partnership going forward.”

One way to spread the message about bullying is through a stage play. “The Greatest Teacher” is on a 25-school tour that ends in July. It’ll pick back up in the fall.

King said the play is customized depending on the audience: It is performed for elementary schools, middle schools and high schools and gives the students ways they can handle bullying situations.

“We know that certain students are engaged in bullying behavior,” he said. “We know certain students are targeted, but we are calling out that 95 percent and higher group of bystanders who aren’t being bullied or bullying others, but know it’s taking place.”

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