• School Safety:
• Part I :Putting New Friends Into the Mix (Teaching Tolerance in our Schools)
• Part II :Not a New Problem
• Part III :Increased Tensions
• Part IV :Mixing it Up
• Part V :Going Beyond Lunch
• Part VI :Learning More

Putting New Friends Into the Mix
(Teaching Tolerance in our Schools)

We all know how hard high school can be. Between the rigorous workload, extra curricular activities and the pressures associated with fitting in with the "right" (or any) group, it's no wonder that many young adults enter their high school years with trepidation.

Not a New Problem

As they have for generations, students attending high schools generally define themselves according to the type of people they spend time with. And with increased pressure for students to "specialize" in one particular sport or activity, these groups have become even more exclusive and well-defined in recent years. The problem becomes even more pronounced in areas that have become home to immigrants from various nations as language and cultural differences make the schism between the various groups even more pronounced.

And whether it's in the cafeteria, in the halls between classes or even the places they take on the school bus, students are careful to make sure they remain in close proximity to others from their group. This level of group cohesiveness and identity provides little opportunity (or desire) for students to get to know other teens, particularly those with whom they have little in common.

Increased Tensions

As a result of this, many schools are experiencing an increase in the number of "incidents" involving students from differing groups. Often, there is a mutual lack of respect among student groups that eventually cause tempers to flare. Often, the result involves violence or at the very least, ill feelings between the two groups.

How big a problem is this? According to a Mix it Up survey conducted in 2002 by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the majority of students polled agreed that they were "quick to put people into categories". Additionally, nearly one third of high school students say that it is difficult to become friends with people in different groups. Further, 40% admit to not giving a fair chance to get to know someone from outside their own group.

We all know that teenagers can be a volatile group. When feelings are hurt or tempers flare violence often ensues and quite often, innocent bystanders are the ones that are hurt. The shootings that took place at Columbine High School in 1999 are just one horrible example of what can happen when a student feels excluded from a group.

Mixing it Up

In an effort to break down some of these barriers, the Southern Poverty Law Center has developed a program called Mix it Up which challenges young people to cast aside the existing social structure and get to know others outside of their usual group.

There are several ways to implement the Mix it Up program. One of the most popular and widely used is Mix it Up at Lunch, a program with encourages students to reach out to new friends over lunch. National Mix it Up at Lunch Day, which was observed on November 15, 2005, saw over 6 million students in 15,000 schools across the country take the first step toward breaking down the social barriers that exist in their schools. While some schools simply invited students to sit in different places during their lunch period, others used Mix it Up at Lunch Day as an opportunity to take a good look at the way in which the schoolís students are defined by the groups to which they belong.

Going Beyond Lunch

Some schools find it useful to extend the Mix it Up experience beyond the scope of the lunch by conducting a series of dialogue sessions to explore the reasons why the barriers between groups exist and how they can be eliminated. Usually moderated by a teacher or other school official, these groups put specific plans that they develop into action throughout the entire school community. The Mix it Up web site contains plenty of resources to help plan these sessions and execute the resulting plans.

Learning More

The Mix it Up web site contains plenty of useful information for parents, teachers and students interested in learning more about this exciting and innovative program. Additionally, the the Southern Poverty Law Centeralso offers $500 grants to schools and organizations to help them put specific programs into action.

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