In Your School
|
| 11 |
Recite the A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute
pledge, or a similar pledge against prejudice created by your student body, at a
school-wide assembly |
| 12 |
Display a poster-size version of the pledge
in a prominent area of your school and encourage people to sign it |
| 13 |
Establish a Diversity Club that serves as an umbrella
organization to promote harmony and respect for differences. Reach out to sports teams,
drama clubs and language clubs for ideas and involvement. If your school already has a
Diversity Club, hold a membership drive. |
| 14 |
Initiate classroom discussions of terms
such as anti-Semitism, racism, sexism, homophobia and bias. Then compose a list of
definitions and post it in a prominent place. |
| 15 |
Invite a motivational speaker who is a recognized civil or
human rights leader to address an all-school assembly. Videotape the speech and publish an
interview with the speaker in the school and local newspapers. |
| 16 |
Organize an essay contest whose theme is
either a personal experience with prejudice or a success story in the fight against it.
Suggest that the winning entries be published in your school newspaper, featured in your
town newspaper, highlighted on a local cable program, or sent to the ADL office. |
| 17 |
Create an anti-prejudice slogan for your school that could be
printed as a bumper sticker and sold in the wider community to raise funds for these
efforts. |
| 18 |
Hold a "Rock Against Racism" or a
concert, dance-a-thon, bike-a-thon, car wash or battle-of-the-bands and donate the
proceeds from ticket sales to underwrite diversity training and other programs for the
school |
| 19 |
Form a student-faculty committee to write "Rules of
Respect" for your school and display the finished set of rules in every classroom. |
| 20 |
Invite your district attorney, police chief
or a representative from the attorney general's office to speak to your school about civil
rights, hate crimes and other legal aspects of the fight against prejudice. |
| 21 |
Designate a wall space on or near school grounds where
graffiti with a harmonious and unifying message can be written, drawn or painted. |
| 22 |
Publish a newsletter specifically devoted
to promoting respect for diversity and publicizing multicultural events. Try to have your
local newspaper or community Internet Home Page do the same. |
| 23 |
Encourage representation of all students on every school
board, committee, group, publication and team. |
| 24 |
Write an original song/chant/rap that
celebrates your school's diversity, and perform it at school rallies and other events. |
| 25 |
Create a flag or poster that symbolizes your school's ideal
of diversity, and display it at games, assemblies and other school events. |
| 26 |
Hold a T-shirt contest to come up with a
logo or slogan like "I Don't Put Up With Put-Downs." The winning T-shirt design
could be printed and sold at your school bookstore or in local shops, at community events
or sports competitions. |
| 27 |
Create a calendar with all the holidays and important civil
rights dates represented in your school community. |
| 28 |
Participate in a poster campaign such as
ADL's "You Can't Turn Your Face Away From Hate" that encourages people to
intervene when confronted with instances of prejudice. |
| 29 |
Create an orientation program that addresses the needs of
students of all backgrounds so that they feel welcome when joining the student body. |
| 30 |
Initiate a pin drive in which students look
for pins with positive slogans and tack them onto a designated bulletin board in the
student lounge or other central gathering area. |
| 31 |
Poll your teachers about their ethnic/cultural backgrounds
and experiences and their experiences with prejudice. Ask each to write a short paragraph
on the subject that can be compiled along with photos in a teacher "mug book." |
| 32 |
Produce a "Proud Out Loud" video
comprised of interviews with students and their grandparents about their ethnic heritage
and why they are proud of it. |
| 33 |
Host a Poetry Slam in which students read aloud original
poems/raps that break down stereotypes and promote respect for diversity. Invite
participants to present their work to PTA meetings, Chamber of Commerce events, and other
community groups. |
| 34 |
Research pro-diversity Web sites. Then
build a Web page for your school and link it to others on the Internet. |
| 35 |
Contact ADL about monitoring hate activities on the Internet |
| 36 |
Create a student-run Speakers Bureau where
students of different backgrounds speak about their heritage. Identify local community
leaders, civil rights veterans, Holocaust survivors and others to partner with students in
this effort. |
| 37 |
Devise a skit contest with themes that promote diversity. |
| 38 |
Turn a school assembly into a game show for
students of all grades called "Cultural Pursuit." Ask teachers to develop
questions covering every discipline and hold "culture bees" in their classrooms
to determine assembly contestants. |
| 39 |
Devote time in art classes to designing a Diversity Quilt
with each patch representing a student's individual heritage. Have all classes combine
their patchwork squares to form a school quilt for display in the community. |
| 40 |
Organize a No-Ethnic-Humor Open-Mike Nite
featuring stand-up comedy by students. |
| 41 |
Meet with food services at your school to discuss the
possibility of featuring ethnic cuisines on a regular basis. Consult with local
restaurants and community groups to participate in the program |
| 42 |
Request that a student-faculty committee
establish an annual A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute Day when regular classes
are suspended and community members and leaders are invited to speak on and explore
diversity with students. Consult with ADL to plan this program |
| 43 |
Construct a multimedia display that examines how today's
media perpetuates stereotypes. Consider current films, television sitcoms, music and
advertising campaigns, in addition to newspapers, magazines and books |
| 44 |
Research peace negotiations going on around
the world regarding ethnic or racial conflict. Then stage a Mock Summit in which students
take on the roles of international leaders and try to resolve these crises |
| 45 |
Look for examples of youth who have struggled to overcome
oppression throughout history and create an original dramatic performance based on their
experiences. |
| 46 |
Sponsor a "Dance for Diversity"
dance-a-thon and approach a local radio station about broadcasting live from your event.
The station could also run student-written PSAs leading up to and following the event |
| 47 |
Establish a school exchange that matches students from
different schools to bring youth of differing backgrounds closer together. |
| 48 |
Start an annual multicultural film festival
at your school. Invite community groups and local theaters to be cosponsors. |
| 49 |
Recreate the Ellis Island Immigration Station for a
school-wide event. Involve teachers from all disciplines to create period costumes and
scenery, and to prepare traditional foods. Issue passports to all students attending and
lead "new immigrants" through the interview process |
| 50 |
Collect samples of popular teen magazines
and comic books from around the world. Ask your librarian to set aside a special corner
for them in the periodical room. |
| 51 |
Research children's books representing the experiences of
different ethnic groups. Then initiate a reading program with a local bookstore or library
that features these books |
| 52 |
Survey local card and gift shops for
product lines geared to diverse groups. Write to greeting card companies and local
merchants to advocate for expanding the diversity of selections. Coordinate a contest to
create a line of cards/note paper that promotes respect for diversity. |
| 53 |
Approach the guidance office about hosting a career workshop
led by professionals who can discuss diversity in their respective fields. |
| 54 |
Ask your school to host an Internship Fair
for groups such as ADL and other civic organizations that hire student interns. |
| 55 |
Advocate for the production of school plays that are
sensitive to multiculturalism and incorporate a variety of roles and perspectives
representing a diverse cast, audience and story. |
| 56 |
Ensure that musical selections of school
bands and choruses are culturally diverse |
| 57 |
Speak to each of your teachers about posting a list somewhere
in the classroom of famous pioneers/leaders in their field with a special focus on
diversity. |
| 58 |
Collect famous speeches about civil rights.
Put them together in a binder or in a video collection and make it available to your whole
school community. |
| 59 |
Research civil unrest in this country: from rebellions during
slavery to Chicago in the 1960s to Los Angeles in the 1990s. |
| 60 |
Survey the colleges in your area about
diversity and affinity clubs at their schools. Invite a panel of representatives to speak
to the senior class about "Prejudice on the College Campus: What To Look For What
To Do." |
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