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I’ll be sharing a lot of information and resources with you as you look into different speakers. My expertise is anti-bullying and anti-drug prevention.For example, every year I’m asked to speak at schools during Red Ribbon Week, here is NBC News coverage from my time in Casper, Wyoming. http://www.kcwy13.com/news

Red Ribbon Speaker in Casper, Wyoming

Also, as you may know, October is National Anti-Bullying Month,

and schools across the country scramble to have an emphasis at their school to help address the issue.

The students were so excited to have me come to their school. I signed a pledge against bullying at the end of every school assembly. This day was made possible through the help of the school’s PTA. Here is the Press Release from the event.

I often get asked about the price to have me come to a school. I try to keep my integrity rates consistent.

Here’s a tip to help fund my program:

The biggest way to afford my program is to split the cost between two schools in the same district. Let’s say there are two middle schools in the same district wanting a speaker. I would work with one person to finalize a speaking agreement. On the date agreed upon, I would speak at one school in the morning and the second school in the afternoon.

red ribbon week speaker

Are you considering having Fabian Ramirez to come and speak to your school, but are not sure about when or on what topic? Here are some creative ways to utilize his expertise and motivation to help make the most of your school events.

Red Ribbon Week is a critical part of our country’s drug prevention efforts. Sadly, too many costly, inefficient efforts utilized by most schools fail to make a big enough impact because they aren’t engaging enough to the students.

How can you get your students to really feel inspired and motivated to take the pledge to be drug free unless you can get them to understand it on an emotional level? The answer is Fabian Ramirez.

Fabian’s ability to inspire youth to reach higher and lead better lives is astounding. He isn’t just motivation only, he also provides your students with the realities of the consequences that will most likely face them if they choose to allow drugs into their lives. Keep in mind that Red Ribbon Week usually takes place at the end of October so be sure to book Fabian well in advance.

Fabian also has experience speaking at schools during Cultural Awareness Week, Health Day and many other events. Some of his specialties are speaking about bullying, dropout prevention and youth leadership.

Are you worried about the costs of having a speaker come and speak to your students? You don’t need to be any longer because depending on your theme, federal grant money might be available to cover any expenses.

For example, Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA) might approve a funding request for a speaker who addresses alcohol and drug prevention, sexual abstinence, tobacco use, teen pregnancy, gangs, crime and violence prevention. All of these are topics Fabian covers with incredible effects on the students.

To start the process of getting the grant money, check with your school district or federal government office to find out who is dispensing these funds in your state. It will be grant money well spent as your student body responds and takes on a new fresh perspective. All you need to do now is simply request an application form from them and get the ball rolling.

The next time you need a guest speaker for an assembly or a youth event where you want to truly make a deep impact that will effect the lives of your students, look no further than Fabian Ramirez.

Contact Fabian today about the possibility of him coming to your school or youth event.

Thankfully you found this site, because we are here to help guide you in changing the lives of your students. In fact, that is what we are dedicated to, changing lives and making an impact.

There are many resources to help you financially accomplish your goals. Some are easier to obtain than others, so lets start with the easiest way. The very first thing you should do is contact your school administration and see if they received educational funding grants.

Many teachers turn to their local Associated Student Body fund to get the money that they need, but that can sometimes dry up too quickly leaving many teachers desperate without much needed resources. So where can you realistically turn after that to get the help you need?

You would be surprised how often this grant gets overlooked. Did you know that every September the federal government gives money to school districts in the form of Title VI funding and you can get some of it for your own unique teacher in-service programs to help you in the classroom?

Don’t worry it isn’t too difficult to get either. In order to apply, you simply need to write up a small proposal of what you will do with the grant money and submit it to your district office before the deadline. (Most district deadlines are in August.)

As long as you meet the requirements for the district funding you will be able to use that money to help inspire and educate your students in the best way possible.

If you are unsure about how to write up your grant proposal, many school districts offer classes or workshops to help you in the process. Many teachers have expressed that Title VI grants were a lot less difficult and significantly less competitive to obtain than they thought it would be.

You have great ideas and you have a vision for your students. Don’t let finances keep you from turning it into a reality. If you are in need of some additional ideas for projects to add to your grant proposal, consider bringing Fabian Ramirez into your classroom and allowing him to connect with your students. He also speaks at school assemblies across the nation. Check to see if your school has received educational grants and if so, use that funding to have an assembly.

Funny Youth Communicator

Any time you are speaking to young people, you must keep in mind that they enjoy humor. One thing we know about teens is that they enjoy a good time and they love to have fun. Students look to make any assignment fun and interesting. So getting a serious point across to them is no different.

I have been speaking to youth at school assemblies for awhile now and I know that before I speak to them about serious issues I look for ways to connect and what better way to connect than through laughter.

Once I have students laughing and having a good time I know that I have their trust. Once I have their trust I transition my speech into the topic the school or conference hired me to speak on. I speak about school bullying, I give my personal stories on how I dealt with bullies in middle school. I also speak about drug and alcohol awareness, a lot of schools are required to have some kind of program every year and most districts celebrate drug-free during Red Ribbon Week every October.

Another topic that is becoming alarming is dropout prevention. So many students are dropping out every year that some states don’t know what to do about it, it’s becoming an epidemic. There are now warning signs to look out for when a student starts high school that tells administrators who the at-risk students are in the school. Part of what I do is show them what it looks like when a person graduates high school and college. I even talk to teens about how I finished grad school as well.

The idea is to tell them that the more they learn the more they will earn so I try to encourage students to make graduation something that is mandatory in their life. I tell youth to finish what you started in relation to school.

Don't be a bullydog

On May 4, 2011, I was able to visit a couple schools in Kilgore, TX. I spoke to over 300 third graders at Chandler Elementary. One thing I learned from that experience is that school age students know what bullying is and how it makes others feel.

Students in elementary school really care about others. I can see on their faces the hurt when I talk about being bullied at school. Some wanted to be on my side. They actually looked like they wanted to give me a hug.

When I walked into the Kilgore Intermediate School hallway I saw a sign hanging that said, “Don’t be a bullydog”. I had to take a picture next to it because it was creative and it’s a constant reminder for students. The school has a process in place where they handle bullying situations in house. The school makes kids face each other and tell each other how the bullying behavior makes them feel.

I’m glad I was able to speak to this age group because this is their last year for some to attend grade school. Next they will have to dodge middle school bullying which is one of the hardest times in my life. For some this is the worst time for bullying that they will have to endure. That’s why it’s important for schools to raise awareness of bullying. Bullying is abuse and the more we speak on the subject, the more aware students and parents will be on the subject. Many feel along when they are bullied and I feel my job is to let them know that I’m going to stand up for them wherever I can.

I feel that I can be a voice for students who are not willing to stand up for themselves. I know what it feels like to be bullied and I don’t want others to feel the pain that I felt. I applaud Kilgore for being proactive in the way they handle bullying behavior.

Thank you also to the state of Texas for adding laws on bullying which protect students and give parents a way out.

Read the bullying speaker press release.

What are signs that a student is at-risk?

Since most students are at school, doing an evaluation of the child’s performance would be a quick indication of a problem. Look to see if the student has ever been expelled from a school or relocated due to bad behavior. If they have been suspended and their grades are failing, these are warning signs that a student is at-risk.

Have a conversation with the child. If he/she is verbally abusive or uses foul language without respect for adults then the child could be a teen at risk.

Most students have a certain expectation of how they are to act outside of the home and when a student doesn’t care about performing well or getting in trouble at school, this is a red flag that there is a lack of discipline at home.

Teachers can often sense a lack of motivation from the student early on in the school year. Another clue is to have a conversation with the parent, either one should be able to give you a rundown of their child. If the parent has no clue of what their child is doing academically, this is a good sign that there’s a disconnect between the parent and the teen.

Studies show that students that miss a handful of days in the first two weeks of the school year will be so far behind that they may never catch up, thus making them at-risk for dropping out of high school.

Parents and educators need to give students with these characteristics extra attention. Most students in this situation are here because someone in their life has not believed in them or their environment does not set them up for success.

It’s important for all schools in America to have student outreach programs that target at-risk teens. I was an at-risk student and I know what it takes to overcome wanting to give up. Sometimes a student just needs to hear that they are important and that they don’t have to have all the answers, just enough to get them through school.

High school students especially cannot see themselves past tenth grade. My job as a at-risk youth speaker is to communicate truth into the lives of students who want to quit. I challenge them to work not only for themselves but for generations to come. When they see the end result, they’ll go after it.

I hope that classrooms everywhere can use this video as a way to engage their students on school bullying. This will be a great way to start a coversation about the subject. Students will not bring up the subject even though it’s the elephant in the room but if an adult can facilitate the conversation, student will open up about it.

Schools need to be more proactive in keeping children safe at school and since bullying is such an epidemic, it’s going to take a lot of reminding and reassuring that school is a safe place to be.

J’Rose Mean Kids Bullying Video

Elementary school girl being bullied

To the parents of school aged children:

Without a doubt, schools are a safe place and they offer your children a place to socialize with other students and school remains to be  a place where young leaders are nurtured to become leaders of tomorrow. With that said every school around the world deals with bullying.

The truth is that students pick on each other at school and outside of school. There is no telling how a student is affected by their environment when they are away from school. There is a good chance that a school bully doesn’t get in trouble at home for hitting and making fun of siblings. Most parents take action when their child is misbehaving, but how many times have kids gotten away with hitting another person or calling somebody a bad name or used bad language.

Parents need to know that students get bullied at school every day and that’s why it’s vital to have open discussions with their children. Parents keep in mind that getting picked on is embarrassing for the student and rarely do they start the conversation about it. Parents should ask their student if they have ever been bullied or if they are currently being bullied. If the answer is no, the next question to ask is if anybody in the class is a bully. Students love to talk about other students and this would be a good way to get information about other students. As a parent, you could be used to help stop other kids from being picked on by presenting the information you gather to school administrators.

When parents drop off their students at school they assume that all is well with their child. Parents know their children better than anyone else so they should be the first to pick up on something being wrong. If a student doesn’t want to talk about their situation, give them a little space and try again at a later time.

No matter what school a student attends, he/she should be able to be productive in a safe learning environment.

Often times, we adults are unable to connect with our kids.  Children view us as their parents, teachers and etc.  Kids need a speaker who is seen as a peer, not someone who is just lecturing them.  Youth speakers connect with kids by speaking to them in their language, using humor, and being genuine.

Now more than ever the issues children are facing are sky rocketing more than ever.   Middle school bullying has become a serious issue with in the school systems.   Both the bully and the victim face serious consequences which are irreversible.

If you have watched the news lately more and more kids are committing suicide as result of being bullied.  Many students will even skip school just to avoid being harassed.  Victims may also suffer serous long-term effects such as dropping out of school, and abuse alcohol.  The victim is not the only person with something to lose.  The alleged bully may face prison time as state legislation is cracking down hard on bullying.  The alleged may be charged as an adult due to the crime. 

Hosting a peer for speaking at youth assemblies will deliver an important message that reaches to our children.  A bullying speaker will deliver a powerful message that gets to the kids before a life altering event such as bullying occurs.