Anti-bully School Presentations With Optimus Prime
Now at 76,448 students who have pledged to RISE UP w/Optimus Prime ... and counting!
"Thank you for your presentation. It was engaging, age-appropriate, timely, and more! God bless you as you share the important message with kids around the continent!" - Esther Martinez, Principal at Savannah Adventist Christian School; Pooler, GA
Joe Fiduccia, owner of the world's only AOE replica of Optimus Prime and a lifetime victim of bullying himself, offers a well-organized bully awareness presentation with a positive message alongside the world's biggest motivational & fictional hero. Encouraging students to rise up against bullies, Joe shares a bit about his experiences with bullies while providing students with useful tips on how to address various situations. He includes some backstory about the build of Optimus, the struggles with those who doubted or bullied him, and his own personal goal to inspire his son by rising up to anyone who didn't believe in him.
Joe's presentation has helped students understand that they are not alone in how they feel, and has inspired tens of thousands of students from Canada to New York to Texas. Read on to discover how we can do the same for your school district.
PRESENTATION SUMMARY
"This was the absolute best presentation about anti-bullying I have ever seen. The message was perfect, and you handled the children extremely well."
-Dr. Gail Kulick, Principal of Resica Elementary School in East Stroudsburg, PA
- Features an OUTDOOR presentation by public speaker Joe Fiduccia (Optimus Prime’s owner). Focused mainly on the importance of recognizing why bullies lash out, and what students can do if it happens to them. This is usually delivered to the entire school at one time on school grounds.
- We typically start with a surprise roll up of Optimus, usually escorted by local police or fire if possible. Joe spends about 30 - 40 minutes speaking to the students on the topic of bullying, sharing experiences of his own, and highlighting the importance of rising up in their own way. Though the truck does NOT transform, even Optimus speaks a few words of encouragement to the students as well! (you will be provided with a full presentation synopsis outlining every topic.)
- For the last 10 minutes, classes are invited up for group photos and to get a closer look at Optimus. They are also provided with our anti-bully pledge cards to sign if they wish, which are distributed within the building later that day to each student.
- This is a
truly memorable experience
alongside one of the most motivational fictional characters ever created. It is arguably the
most unique presentation about bully awareness anywhere in the world. Our message to rise up is one that resonates with young minds of varied ages, and has already impacted tens of thousands of students across North America.
Frequently asked questions
"I can't even begin to tell you the overwhelming feedback we have received from your visit. Weeks later and you are still the talk of the community. We will definitely bring you back again soon for more school stops. In fact if I don't, I'm pretty sure the school board will fire me." -School Admin, York, SC
What grade levels is this available for?
A. Our presentation is designed specifically for GRADES 1 - 6. While we may expand our reach in the future, we currently do not offer a modified version for younger or older age groups. (Exceptions are sometimes granted for combined schools with 7/8th grade students present.)
We have multiple elementary schools in our district that are interested. How many presentations can you do in a day?
A. If you would like us to stop at multiple schools within your district, while working within the confines of a typical school day schedule, we can typically offer up to 3 presentations in a single day for your district. If necessary, we will make accommodations to stay in town multiple days in order to complete our visits to all of the schools that are interested.
Do you offer this program for camps or homeschooled students? What about schools with a focus on special needs?
A. We are actively exploring options to modify our presentation that will allow us to expand our reach to specialty schools like this. However at this time, we currently do not offer an adaptive program for camps or homeschool students, or schools that focus on educating students with special needs..
Can you deliver this presentation during a public event?
A. We strictly deliver our presentation at elementary and intermediate schools only, as it requires the full attention of everyone present. We therefore currently do not offer this presentation during an event of any kind, due to the ongoing distractions that naturally occur in these settings.
What about Kindergarten or pre-K students?
A.
Given the mildly advanced content, the intimidating presence of the truck, and the fact that most have not yet seen a Transformers movie, we currently do NOT include Kindergarten or Pre-K students in the main presentation. However, we often remain on school grounds for a short while after finishing, to give Kindergarten and Pre-K classes a chance to come outside and see Optimus. There is no formal presentation during that time, and the truck does not talk (thus the kids are more comfortable and not as scared). These younger students can walk around and get photos. They will also still receive the same
anti-bully pledge cards, which their teachers often explain in more depth when they return to class.
What are the costs?
"This presentation is something that every child needs to experience. You guys truly bring Optimus to life with your anti-bully message. My son looks at the card everyday and promises to do his best for Optimus." -Mariam, mom of 7-year-old, Poconos, PA
Optimus and Joe are based in northeast Pennsylvania. We are committed to encouraging children around the world with this initiative, completely free of our normal appearance fees. But we do ask for assistance covering out-of-pocket expenses, with roundtrip mileage, tolls and drive time/distance being the biggest variable. We also charge a daily stipend and nominal per-student fee to cover basic time and material costs, which will vary depending on how many students we are presenting to.
Because of what this mission represents, we promise to do our best to keep costs as reasonable as possible. If you are an administrator, or if you are a third-party business or individual who would like to consider sponsoring a visit to your community, please message us below to initiate a dialogue.
Send us a message to inquire
If you are an elementary or intermediate school administrator, teacher, or even a local business who would like to sponsor a visit in your local school community, please message us below to initiate a dialogue.
Send Us a Message
NEWS AND MEDIA CLIPS
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STUDENT FEEDBACK
ADMINISTRATOR AND PRINCIPAL FEEDBACK
"“I know our students will be having lots of conversations at home about what they saw and the important message they heard. Our Jaguars are excited to join team Prime and rise up against bullies.” - Susan Cousineau, Principal for C.R. Judd
"Thank you so much for your visit today! The kids enjoyed it very much. What a wonderful, positive message of empowerment and belief in oneself that you brought to all our students! A great example of how our dreams can become reality! Thanks again!!" - Administrator, PV School District