Being bullied is a distressing experience that remains with someone forever. As a victim of bullying himself, Taylor wanted to pull from his past to help others who lack the support and resources that he had as an adolescent facing school bullies. By taking the technologies bullies themselves use––such as text messaging and social media––the foundation will show youth how to stand up to the ugliness of bullying.
The Taylor Barton Foundation’s mission is to prevent bullying in America’s middle schools and high schools with education, “Challenge Day” strategies and technology. The foundation’s vision is to prevent bullying in America’s middle schools and high schools because no one is alone.
Through projects Operation Text It Forward and Challenge Day, Taylor hopes to bring awareness to the subject and curb middle and high school bullying in America. With Operation Text It Forward, youth send positive messages to their peers, who then pass on text encouragements to others, creating a chain of support and compassion to combat the trend of text message bullying. Challenge Day is a daylong program that teaches students and adults how to combat social isolation, which often leads to bullying, and instead create an environment of acceptance, love and respect within the school. A third component is an outreach program where Taylor will speak to youth and promote the foundation’s message that “no one is alone.”
