Central Nova News

The City of Alexandria has introduced the Respect Campaign, coinciding with National Bullying Prevention Month and National Substance Use Prevention Month. This initiative is a collaboration between the Mayor’s Campaign to End Bullying and the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria (SAPCA). The campaign features a series of short videos produced by students from Alexandria City High School (ACHS).

These videos present students' perspectives on respect, ways to demonstrate it, and how substance use affects their school environment and community. The campaign encourages social media users to share these videos along with their own definitions of respect and suggestions for promoting respect towards oneself, others, schools, and the community.

This initiative addresses concerns about youth safety and substance use. It builds upon previous video series developed by ACHS TV and Media Production program. Past projects include "A Bully Free Alexandria: It Starts With Me and You," which highlights strategies for preventing bullying in schools and communities. Additionally, three multimedia prevention campaigns have been launched to promote substance-free lifestyles among youth in Alexandria.

SAPCA was established in 2007 as an alliance comprising parents, youth, schools, city health services, media outlets, nonprofits, businesses, policymakers, and law enforcement agencies. Its mission focuses on reducing underage substance use through collaborative prevention efforts across diverse community sectors.

Since its inception in 2014, the Mayor's Campaign to End Bullying has consistently developed programs aimed at preventing bullying within the city. This committee includes various city agencies such as Alexandria City Public Schools alongside community organizations and leaders.

For more information on preventing substance misuse or ending bullying initiatives visit alexandriava.gov/SAPCA or alexandriava.gov/EndBullying respectively.