School Name: Tyler Elementary School
School District: Prince William County Public Schools
Grades Served: K-5
Years of Participation: 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, 2021-2022
How has No Place for Hate impacted your school?
No Place for Hate is now embedded in our culture as a school. Every year, each student and staff member pledge to abide by the No Place for Hate promise to stand up to bullying and combat biases. We have a No Place for Hate committee of staff and parents who meet monthly to evaluate how we are doing as a school community to promote inclusion and celebrate diversity. Our No Place for Hate club of fourth and fifth grade students also meet monthly to engage in dialogue about the importance of spreading kindness, taking time to understand others’ perspectives, and making our school a safe place for all. The club and committee work together to plan, organize, and execute multiple school-wide events every year to create a more equitable and inclusive environment.
I have noticed a difference in our students since becoming a designated No Place for Hate school. We have had students who previously demonstrated bullying behavior join our club and, not only were those behaviors eliminated, but they went on to receive an award for embodying the No Place for Hate promise. Our students began taking it upon themselves to hold each other accountable to No Place for Hate. There was one student who, without any adult prompting, made a No Place for Hate poster at recess and asked students from many different grades and classes to sign it as a reminder of the promise they made. We also had classes of students who began leaving sticky notes with kind messages around our school. All of this without adult prompting. An amazing thing about No Place for Hate is that it really empowers students and gives them permission to take ownership of the well-being of their school community. Students feel a responsibility to take care of one another, make sure everyone feels valued, and become determined to spread love and kindness.
What do you think has been the biggest challenge in making your school/district No Place for Hate? How have you overcome that?
There have been little, if any, challenges to making our school No Place for Hate. Although we are an elementary school, it is important to begin these conversations of acceptance and celebrating diversity early. When adults don’t have the tools or strategies to address biases, racism, and hate it can be easy to shy away from those topics. The No Place for Hate initiative eliminates that challenge by providing schools with research-based tools for educators, lesson plans, and even trainings to help staff feel equipped and ready for these conversations.
What advice would you give to someone who is considering joining the No Place for Hate movement?
To those considering joining the No Place for Hate movement I encourage them to do so. Beginning a new program or initiative can seem daunting but the No Place for Hate staff and coordinators walk you through the process and help you every step of the way. The positive shift in school culture and decrease in bullying behaviors are marked. If you are looking for an initiative to enhance an equitable, inclusive school environment while combatting bullying and creating opportunities for student-led activities, I can’t recommend No Place for Hate enough.