Don't Laugh at Me

Although he is best known as one-third of the famed folk group "Peter, Paul and Mary," Peter Yarrow has embarked on an educational crusade to keep children from becoming bullies. Founded by Yarrow, "Don't Laugh At Me" helps transform schools, camps and other youth organizations into more compassionate, safe and respectful environments for children. The project provides free educational materials designed to build a climate that reduces the emotional and physical cruelty some children inflict upon each other through ridicule, bullying and, in extreme cases, violence.

The program has three components, one for grades two through five, another for grades six through eight, and a third for summer camps and after-school programs. All use inspiring music, video and materials based on the conflict-resolution curricula developed by the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program of Educators for Social Responsibility.

Don’t Laugh at Me (DLAM) is designed to help teachers and students create a respectful, compassionate, and ridicule-free environment that nurtures both the emotional/social and academic growth of students. The use of music and videos helps to sensitize students to the painful effects of bullying, ridicule, and other forms of disrespect - behaviors that frequently lie at the root of the emotional and physical injuries that children inflict upon one another. The program is designed to inspire children to take responsibility for making their class a "Ridicule Free Zone," and to give them the tools and techniques for preserving it.

Changing the culture of a classroom and school takes time, patience, sustained effort, and support. The DLAM program is the result of a rich collaboration among leading organizations working in the fields of character education, conflict resolution, and diversity education. The goal of Don't Laugh At Me is to equip teachers, school counselors, principals, and other school employees with the necessary skills and confidence to launch the program successfully.

For more information on the Don't Laugh At Me program, go to their Web site.

The "Don't Laugh At Me" program increases mutual respect and fellowship among hundreds of thousands of elementary school children, creating an environment for students that improves focus on their schoolwork and encourages social and emotional growth.  These camp programs have made the environment at summer camps safer and more secure for children by creating a greater sense of empathy, tolerance, and compassion.  They have also made a significant impact on schools and camps through a curriculum of character education and social and emotional learning.


The success of Operation Respect and the "Don't Laugh At Me" programs has been recognized by major educational associations, including the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the American Association of School Administrators, the National Education Association, the American School Counselors Association, the National School Boards Association, the National Middle School Association, and the American Federation of Teachers.