BELTON, Mo. — Safe Fleet on Tuesday announced the winners of the 2018 United to End Bullying Grant Program.

The grants are offered annually to schools, transportation teams, and nonprofits throughout North America that work with students. Grant funds will support new and existing programs on bullying prevention and awareness, kindness initiatives, and teaching social emotional learning skills.

United Against Bullying is the social campaign of Safe Fleet, a provider of safety solutions for fleet vehicles.

This year, 158 applications were received, with 68 winners selected for a total of $50,000 in grants. According to Safe Fleet, the need for the funding was evident in the applications — with an increase in exclusion and cyberbullying frequently noted, as well as bullying, aggression, and a lack of conflict resolution or social skills. Many applicants also cited children in poverty, unstable homes or homelessness, and living with trauma and fear.

“Every child deserves an environment where they can learn and thrive,” said Bob Parks, Safe Fleet’s vice president of human resources and United Against Bullying executive sponsor. “Because a great deal of need was expressed in the applications, we have awarded a large number of recipients to reach as many students as possible.”

For the list of 2018 United to End Bullying grant winners and other details on the program, go here. Safe Fleet said that awards and certificates will be mailed to the winners at the end of May.