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Article IndexShe lobbied for passage of state's 'Safe Dating' curriculum
BY TOM HESTER SR.
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
Nicole DeSario, 16, a junior at Montgomery High School in Skillman, Somerset County, will be at the White House Thursday as a “Champion of Change” to participate in a roundtable discussion to raise awareness of domestic violence.
Beginning in the fall of last year, Nicole championed state Assembly bill (A-2920), was signed by Gov. Chris Christie on May 5 that directs New Jersey middle and high schools to have “Safe Dating” in their health curriculum starting with this school year.
The roundtable is part of the White House’s recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. White House Advisor on Domestic Violence, Lynn Rosenthal, will host 14 people who are dedicated to ending domestic violence in their communities. At the event, participants will share their personal stories and discuss lessons they have learned while working to end domestic violence on a local level.
The Champions of Change program was created as a part of President Obama’s Winning the Future initiative. Each week, a different issue is highlighted and groups of “champions,” ranging from educators to entrepreneurs to community activists, are recognized for the work they are doing to better their communities.Nicole is the president of her school’s MASK Theater, “Montgomery Advocates for Solidarity and Kindness.” MASK is an initiative Nicole developed herself in response to the new legislation’s mandate to combat relationship abuse in teenagers. Nicole arranged for students interested in being a member of MASK to first be educated and certified in relationship abuse, courtesy of a local sponsoring domestic abuse prevention agency.
MASK members perform short theatrical presentations to small groups to demonstrate real life situations that teens face. These scenarios are adapted through anonymous submissions by teenagers who have experienced or witnessed abuse themselves, making the productions very relevant.
Audience participation drives the success of the program. MASK’s philosophy of “By Teens, For Teens” looks to create an intimate and informal atmosphere with the audience. They host discussions, use media and other art forms that make it more applicable for teens while providing an accessible student resource for their school community.
