In a society where bullying behaviors affect more and more children, early emotional education becomes essential. ALKA joins this important effort, supporting the anti-bullying program “Friendship Shield”, an initiative of the ASSA Foundation, dedicated to developing the social and emotional skills of young children.
“Friendship Shield” is a bullying prevention program, designed for primary school children, which helps them discover how to communicate better, protect themselves and create healthy relationships.
Coordinated by psychologist Elena Alexandra Nistor, the program consists of 6 interactive workshops, which will take place between March and June 2025 at School no. 156 in Bucharest, where 25 children from the 2nd grade will participate.
The workshops are carefully designed to help children understand their emotions, recognize their personal limits, and learn how to say “STOP to bullying” with confidence and kindness.
The GENERAL OBJECTIVES of the program are:
- Cultivating empathy and the courage to support colleagues in difficulty.
- Learning effective ways to recognize and intervene in bullying situations.
- Strengthening respect for differences and promoting positive language.
- Developing conflict management skills and setting healthy boundaries.
The first results are already visible. In the 3 workshops held so far, the children were actively involved in educational games, group exercises and open discussions, all in a friendly environment, full of smiles and positive energy.
They discussed:
- The Superpowers Tree. Children discovered the qualities that make them unique and valuable, contributing to the symbolic creation of the “Superpowers Tree”.
- Emotion Detectives. Participants transformed into “emotion detectives”, learning to interpret facial expressions and body gestures, developing their emotional intelligence.
- The Power of Words. Through the “Apples Experiment,” children understood the profound impact of language on others. They created “healing messages,” practiced gentle reactions in tense situations, and created a “Friendship First Aid Kit” with positive gestures and phrases to support peers in difficult times.
Supporting the “Friendship Shield” program is part of Alka’s commitment to contributing to a violence-free education, based on empathy, respect and emotional safety. As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy, Alka actively invests in projects that address real community issues – and bullying is one of the most prevalent.
