School Name: Cardinal Elementary School
School District: Arlington Public Schools
Grades Served: K-5
Years of Participation: 2020-2021; 2021-2022
ADL sat down with leaders at Cardinal Elementary School to learn more about how they are implementing No Place for Hate®.
1.) Why did your school decide to participate in No Place for Hate?
There was a lot of racial unrest and injustice being reported in the media, so we thought it was a good time to broach the topic with our students to help them understand what was happening and how they could help or make a difference.
2.) How has the decision to participate in No Place for Hate impacted your school environment?
We can’t officially prove that NPFH caused our low incidence of fighting and bullying, but anecdotally students have enjoyed looking at situations from more equitable and inclusive perspectives. There were many times when they said to us, “Oh I hadn’t thought of [some situation] like that!”, and then were willing to re-evaluate their own behavior and/or make a change.
3.) How do you engage students in leadership roles?
As part of our NPFH committee, our 5th graders helped choose our activities this year and created our NPFH artwork that’s displayed around the school.
4.)What advice would you give to other schools interested in pursuing No Place for Hate?
If you’re looking for a program that is school-wide and customizable to your school, this is great way to get the kids thinking about inclusivity. The staff at the ADL provides a lot of support and assistance if you have questions about how to proceed. You may also be pleasantly surprised about the thoughtful reactions and insight from the students, which can be really heartwarming!