SEASIDE - A group of kids heading back to school this week got a quick lesson on how to fight back against bullying.
"It made me cry and make me feel I don't want to go to school anymore," said Carla Hanna, 10.
Kids in Seaside said they're tired of being picked on and feeling alone, so they're doing something about it.
"They would always mess with me about my weight," said Araceli Perez, 13.
"I've been bullied because of my background and where I came from," said Shila Shirian, 12 years old.
"They don't think I'm very cool and they make fun of my clothes," Hanna said.
These kids at the Boys and Girls Club of Monterey County created a chant to empower them, so they never have to feel bullied again.
It's all part of this summer's Superhero Camp that's targeting the harmful effects of bullying and how it impacts kids ages nine through 13.
Another way kids are spreading the message is through chalk art.
"They're transferring into middle school, awkward age to deal with, right? Difficult time anyway, so really saying and giving them the tools to say, 'Hey, I've been in that situation, too.' It is tough out there and it's ok you're not alone," said Marlene Trotter-Murray, unit director for the Boys and Girls Club in Seaside.
Teachers hope this message will translate when the kids get back into the classroom.
"I feel better, because I have a team that cares about me and respects me," Hanna said.
The Boys and Girls Club of Monterey County said it hasn't been able to partner with any school districts on the central coast to bring this into the classroom.
