HYDEN – A school project designed to counteract the effects of bullying at Hayes Lewis Elementary School in Leslie County was honored as the “UNITE Club Project of the Month” for October.

This was the first year Operation UNITE has presented this award to highlight what students in the anti-drug school clubs were doing to make a difference within their school, community or county.

For “Make A Difference Day” in October 2014, the 47 club members, along with 20 other students, at Hayes Lewis Elementary participated in the school’s “Post-It Note Project.” Each note written and placed on random lockers had a positive message for their classmates to find.

“Each Post-It Note represented a comment that we would give someone” to help cancel out negative comments and rebuild self-esteem, said Club Sponsor Bethany Rockrohr. “At the end of the day the students were able to see how that one comment, in addition to someone else’s comment, added together created several comments for each person.”

“There was a great response from the students. They said the notes made them feel important,” Rockrohr added. “I feel that it did more than that. It taught them the importance of each other.”

Currently there are 74 registered UNITE Clubs in 21 counties with 6,413 student members for the 2014-15 school term. Club members agree to educate themselves and their peers in the importance of remaining drug free, and to help raise awareness about the dangers of substance abuse and all the issues that surround drug use.