JACKSON TWP — School and community leaders in Evans City have banded together to create a new bullying-prevention coalition funded by a grant from the Highmark Foundation and the Center for Safe Schools.

Leaders of the coalition gave a presentation Monday night to the Seneca Valley School Board, outlining their plan to build a community-wide network of school, business and community leaders to help stop bullying in schools.

Marie Palano, principal at Evans City Middle School, said officials have spent the past year organizing the coalition, which will be called We Care.

School officials held monthly meetings and training sessions and are finally ready to roll out the program to the community. They will do so at 6 p.m. Sept. 29 at a reception at Evans City Middle School.

Palano stressed that the We Care initiative isn’t the only anti-bullying program in the schools.

The Olweus program has been in place districtwide for several years, although the We Care coalition will supplement that program outside of the school setting.

The coalition’s roster includes officials from the Evans City schools as well as school board member Reid Moon, members of the Evans City Police Department and representatives from the YMCA.

The group already has launched a website at wecare-community.com for anyone interested in learning more about it.

The grant from Highmark was for $3,000, while the school also has partnered with the Center for Safe Schools, a state-run agency that advocates against bullying and violence in schools.