Today, students at Lincoln Center of the Arts, a middle school on the eastside, will not feel judged by peers when they break out of their clique to eat lunch with someone new.
This is because they will be taking part in Mix it Up, a campaign created by Teaching Tolerance that helps K-12 teachers develop an inclusive school climate.
Part of the campaign includes a day where educators encourage students to challenge social boundaries in the cafeteria- perhaps by talking to a bilingual student, a football player, or a child with disabilities.
A total of 2,856 schools nationwide are committed to participating in Mix It Up at Lunch Day, according to the Teaching Tolerance interactive map . This is the 8th year for the program.
To get the ball rolling, teachers will direct activities on topics such as bullying (link), disability awareness, homophobia, summer service, the President, women and boundary crossing.
The activities are specially designed to get kids socializing.
The Mix It Up program produced powerful results last year, according to Quality Education Data. They stated that 95% of respondents said Mix It Up at Lunch Day prompted students to interact with people outside of their normal social circles.
And uear after year children have reported that they value the lessons they’ve learned.
For more information about Mix It Up:
Teaching Tolerance
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