Community Corner
Former Mt. Hope Teacher Receives Prestigious Award
Marianne Douglas of Barrington was presented with the Jefferson Award for the creation of "Strategies for Success" and her service to the community and RI schools.
Former teacher and Patch Blogger was recently honored for her outstanding gift to help others throughout the State of Rhode Island.
According to Channel 10 News, Douglas was presented with the Jefferson Award at a breakfast at United Way on Thursday, April 19, for her achievements in creating a program and curriculum implemented in schools throughout the state to help students overcome life's challenges.
"I was thrilled to be recognized with the Jefferson Award," Douglas said. "It's one of the highest honors a Rhode Islander can receive. [I'm] honored to be in the company of the other two recipients who also have worked with teens and fighting bullying - Kobi Dennis and Adam Brunetti."
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Douglas taught at Mt. Hope High School (and Bristol High School) for 28 years, and started her own curriculum, known as Strategies for Success in 2001. She built and grew her curriculum for three years before leaving Mt. Hope High School to spread her program to schools throughout Rhode Island.
"I feel that Strategies for Success is the missing piece in the program of studies for most schools because it provides, in one course, many of the tools teens need to be successful in all areas of their lives, including school," Douglas said. "Through team building activities, it subtly but consistently creates an acceptance of diversity while increasing empathy - two essential components to decreasing bullying. Strategies also provides teens a daily forum to discuss and come up with solutions to the problems they face."
Find out what's happening in Bristol-Warrenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Though Douglas no longer works in the classroom, she now brings positive strategies to businesses, schools, organizations and the public with the Strategies program and through her own seminars. She will also be receiving the Rhode Island College Alumni Service Award on May 10th
For more information about Marianne Douglas and her program and seminars, visit her website at www.MarianneDouglas.com.
To learn more, be sure to check out the video feature on Douglas that can be seen on the NBC 10 website.
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