September 11 - Flint, MI: Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette introduced the State's OK2SAY anti-bullying campaign at the International Academy of Flint, a member of the SABIS School Network. The International Academy is a successful charter school and recipient of numerous academic awards. The school opened in 1999 and serves nearly 1,200 students in grades K-12.
Click here for ABC12 news coverage of the initiative's launch at the International Academy.
OK2SAY... a new program that enables students to confidentially report potential harm or criminal activities involving students or school employees. OK2SAY’s focus is on early intervention and prevention, acting as an early warning system to thwart school tragedies before they occur.
Students (and others) will be able to submit tips 24/7 by telephone, text, email, mobile application, and via a web-based form on the OK2SAY website at www.mi.gov/ok2say (website will be operational September 2, 2014). Tips can be filed on a wide range of issues, including: planned school attacks, weapons at school, assault, bullying/cyberbullying, threats, gang activity, and more. Upon receipt of a tip, specially trained OK2SAY operators will address the immediate need and, as necessary, forward the information to the appropriate responding agency or organization. Most tips are expected to go to schools and local law enforcement agencies, but in some instances, tips may go to local Community Mental Health agencies and/or the Michigan Department of Human Services. Operators will be trained to recognize, and appropriately address mental illness and emotional disturbance. Tips suggesting a psychiatric emergency will be forwarded to the local community mental health psychiatric crisis line.