Students David Shepherd and Travis Price – Changed the World With Pink
Doing one small thing can make a big difference for a lot of people. Millions of people.
Two Canadian high school students, David Shepard and Travis Price, from Berwick, Nova Scotia, Canada were inspired to take a stand at school one day. On the first day of school in 2007, a they saw a 9th school mate being bullied for wearing a pink shirt.
So what did they do? They bought 50 pink shirts for others to wear. They spread the word that night for others to wear the pink shirts to school The next day, hundreds of students were outfitted with the pink tees!
And soon after, hundreds of other students showed up wearing their own pink clothes. Their actions inspired their school and their community to stop bullying. The bullies were never heard from again.
Word then spread throughout all of Canada. The actions of these boys sparked the creation of “Pink Shirt Day” in Canada. Then, in 2012, inspired by the actions of David and Travis, the United Nations declared Anti-Bullying Day which is recognized by over 25 countries worldwide, including United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Now, over 7 million people participate thanks to their actions!
This video shows what Pink Shirt Day is all about.
Additional Resources:
- Here is an article about David and Travis and their efforts.
- Check out the Pink Shirt Day website to learn more about David’s and Travis’ amazing actions!
- Check out other inspiring IMK stories about bullying
- Check out this website to learn more about International Stand Up to Bullying Day!
Topics For Discussion:
- Why do kids bully others?
- Have you ever been a bully or the victim of one? What was it like?
Take Action:
- Pink Shirt Day is held in February each year. Learn more about participating here
- Stopbullying.gov provides are a bunch of great ideas on what you can do to stop bullying in your home, school or community
Teacher Features:
- Here is a link to a Critical Reading Skills worksheet that you can use for elementary school students.
- Here is a link to a Critical Reading Skills worksheet that you can use for middle school students.
