South Miami Heights Elementary School will unveil a new Anti-Bullying Buddy Bench at 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, in a ceremony that will include students, school leaders and invited Miami-Dade County Public Schools staff, according to a news release.
The bench is part of a partnership with My Buddy Bench Project, a Miami-based nonprofit founded by teenager Victoria Portela and her mother, Mary Portela. The Children’s Trust helped fund the initiative, which the release says was developed in collaboration with Christina’s Academy.
The idea grew out of Victoria’s own experience with bullying. The group’s goal is to give children a place to find friendship and feel included, and the organization says the bench is meant to be a visible sign that every child deserves connection.
The project also includes a Kindness Ambassador Program, in which students learn to notice classmates who feel left out and act on it. Schools that join receive access to the program for life, the release said.
Principal Jo Ann Blanco said playgrounds can feel isolating for students who are shy, new or having a hard day. She said a dedicated space tells students that loneliness is normal but does not have to be faced alone.
