In high school, it seems like everyone has a label: jock, geek, skater — the list goes on. Your label determines your social status and often dictates your interactions. Does it have to be this way?
Mix It Up (www.tolerance.org/teens/about.jsp) is a program of the Southern Poverty Law Center that encourages teens to break through the social barriers that divide high school groups. The program’s Web site does more than preach tolerance — it shows you how you can create change.
The centerpiece of the program is its annual National Mix It Up at Lunch Day, which encourages students to venture out of their comfort zones by sitting with different people at lunch (the fifth annual National Mix It Up at Lunch Day is Nov. 14).
The site offers an action plan that you can implement to launch the event at your school, including how to involve administrators and create promotional materials. In addition, an archive of testimonials from students in schools that have taken part in past Mix It Up days is great for generating ideas. Mix It Up also offers a $500 grant you can apply for to help fund your idea.