During the 2018 school year, Sodexo released an Anti-bullying piloting training in school districts in Chicago Public Schools. Sodexo wants to support and elevate the student experience by training facilitators to protect the safety of our students outside of structured school environments such as hallways, cafeterias, outside the buildings, and bathrooms. Student needs are a priority, especially for Sodexo and as such, Sodexo managers will be trained to be ambassadors of student safety. The staff will be trained to mitigate and nurture a positive environment and be able to identify any challenges among students who are being bullied in areas outside of the classroom. Jude Medeiros, Sodexo VP, NORAM operations- Schools adds compelling context, “Bullying should never be seen as a rite of passage for youth to endure — it is a serious and preventable behavior that has terrible consequences. But prevention starts with education, and we’re excited that Sodexo can be part of creating solutions in schools nationwide so every child can go to school feeling safe and valued.” Starting in September the program will be expanding to Washington D.C., and suburbs outside of Phoenix and Dallas, to accompany classroom initiatives to fight bullying. Along with our Holistic Wellness programs, this is another way Sodexo is showing its commitment to our client experience.