Seven visitors from Georgia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, Slovakia, and Tajikistan came to Pensacola in June 2019 to discover how small-to-medium-sized communities handle cyberbullying. The project’s title was 21st Century Changemakers: Be Best: Strategies for Combating Cyberbullying. World Learning coordinated the national itinerary.
Several weekend activities introduced the group to our community. Gulf Coast Diplomacy members Karen and Mike Jurkowich, Jean Norman, and Marcia Edwards also provided home-cooked meals and hospitality.
On Monday, the visitors met with the Gulf Coast Diplomacy Youth Diplomats to discuss online bullying and how it affects students. It was an excellent opportunity for the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) participants to meet American teenagers.
Next, the Youth Diplomats and the visitors met with Zachary Schang of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, who shared how his office uses volunteers to help with environmental restoration work. He also spoke about educational outreach and discussed the importance of maintaining oyster reefs and the shoreline grasses. Schang then harnessed the group’s enthusiasm in a volunteer activity that involved bagging oyster shells and replanting the grass necessary to maintain the Florida coastline.
Pensacola City Council Executive Don Kraher and Public Information officer Allie Norton gave an overview of regional history. They answered questions about public information and the media, and the visitors responded to their questions about the policies in their own countries.
Rick Outzen, the publisher of IN Weekly, welcomed the group to Pensacola and discussed media disinformation. A later conversation with family therapist Dr. Jania Kietzmann concentrated on social media addiction and the effects of bullying.
A discussion with Doug Landreth, co-founder and past president of Gay Grassroots of Northwest Florida, explored hate speech targeting the LGBTQ+ community. Landreth also shared how Gay Grassroot helps cyberbully victims.
At the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff David Morgan discussed the Informed Parent Program with Sergeant Patrick Frazier. After that, the visitors met with the Department of Juvenile Justice Transition Coordinator’s Dr. Michael Samala to hear what the School Board of Escambia County does to combat cyberbullying and hate speech in schools.
The itinerary also included a relaxing Tuesday evening with Bands on the Beach and lunch in downtown Pensacola. At Visit Pensacola, Joyce Black gave each IVLP participant a warm welcome and some area souvenirs.
This visit expanded the Youth Diplomats’ knowledge about cyberbullying and increased our understanding of the topic. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the project.
