ALBANY, N.Y. — As part of the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) Recommended Products Program, the Hazelden Foundation, a publisher of evidence-based prevention programs for K-12 schools, is offering a 20-percent discount to NAPT members on the foundation's Peaceful School Bus Program.

The Peaceful School Bus Program is a whole-school program designed to decrease inappropriate behavior on school buses while creating a climate of respect and cooperation. School officials take the primary responsibility of educating and training students in the program so students can, in turn, act responsibly on school buses when staff members are not present.

The Peaceful School Bus Program is neither a discipline program nor a training program for school bus drivers, but rather aims to change the social dynamics on the school bus by building positive relationships among students and their bus driver, and by teaching students to take responsibility for their bus route group and what happens on the bus.

The program comes with a 110-page manual, a DVD and a CD-ROM. NAPT members can purchase the program at a 20-percent discount for $95.20. To become a member, go to www.naptonline.org. 

"Hazelden's Peaceful School Bus Program is an inexpensive and effective resource to address a serious issue that all NAPT members need to address — that is the issue of bullying on school buses," NAPT Executive Director Mike Martin said. "Bullying can have a huge impact on the well-being of students, and it can create serious liability issues for school districts and school transportation providers."

Sue Thomas, business development director for the Hazelden Foundation, said that the New York elementary school where the Peaceful School Bus Program was created had nearly 60 bus referrals annually (bully incidents reported) prior to the program.

"After the program was implemented, the number of bus referrals dropped to seven and has stayed at a very low level ever since," Thomas said. 

To learn more about the Peaceful School Bus Program, visit www.hazelden.org/peacefulschoolbus or call 1-800-328-9000.