By: Larissa Nothof
Pink Shirt Day is on Wednesday and NAIT is celebrating with sweet treats, refreshments, activities and pink giveaway items from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will also be a speech by NAIT President Dr. Glenn Feltham.
Students can head to CAT crossing and CAT main street to support #NAITantibullying by wearing a pink shirt.
If any student wants to participate in the event, but forgot to wear something pink—or doesn’t have anything pink to wear—Shop at NAIT is selling pink shirts up to the event day and from every shirt sold, two dollars will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club in Edmonton.
While Pink Shirt Day began in 2007 as a high school anti-bullying campaign in Nova Scotia, NAIT has extended it to also support workplace respect.
CareerBuilder Canada released a study in 2014 on bullying in the workplace where 45 percent of the workers said they had been bullied. And 1 in 4 people surveyed quit their job because they felt bullied.
The event aims to increase awareness about peer bullying and teach empathy and kindness. Donations go to youth and child support programs like YMCA child programs and Boys and Girls Clubs.
Alberta Alis, an employment information website, provides tips to deal with bullying. For example, if someone witnesses another person being bullied, they can get a few co-workers together to stand in view of the bully. This makes the bully know they are being watched and can give support to the target.
The website also encourages people to keep detailed records of any bullying they have witnessed and to encourage the target to act and offer their support. As well as being supportive by going with the target to meet with a supervisor or to speak with the bully.
