Front cover to the "Friend Never Enemy" book presented by the 826 National chapter in Los Angeles. [Cartoon Network]
Front cover to the book of student stories presented by the 826 National chapter in Los Angeles. [Cartoon Network]

Cartoon Network asked kids across the country to share written stories about kindness and empathy, which have been bound together in eight illustrated publications as part of an effort to stop bullying before it starts.

The network’s Inclusion Storytelling Project, expands upon its “Stop Bullying: Speak Up” campaign. Cartoon Network partnered with 826 National to reach hundreds elementary and middle school students involved in eight different workshops that inspire fiction and nonfiction writing about compassion and understanding.

Each 826 chapter will host a book release where the young authors will share their work with their community, starting with today’s December 7 afternoon event at Echo Park in Los Angeles. Other upcoming locations include San Francisco, Ann Arbor/Detroit, Boston, Chicago, New York city and Washington D.C.

“Elevating kids’ voices is central to everything we do at Cartoon Network. Equipping each kid with tools and resources to use their individual voice to speak up is a key goal of Stop Bullying: Speak Up,” said Jill King, senior vice president, marketing and partnerships, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang.

Teaming up with 826 National is a way to encourage kids to use creativity to understand and spread kindness, compassion and empathy, she added.

To expand the reach of this partnership and inspire other kids to share their stories, the lessons created through the project will also be made available to teachers everywhere in 2018 via 826 Digital, the 826 National’s pay-what-you-wish online platform of resources for educators.

“Many of the students we serve at 826 come from traditionally under-resourced communities that are most affected by our changing political and cultural landscape,” said Laura Brief, CEO of 826 National. “We believe our students have the power and perspective to end a pervasive culture of bullying, and we are so excited to partner with Cartoon Network in sharing their stories and voices on a national scale.”

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