Students Set to Cross Social Boundaries

Aliso Viejo, California - Students at St. Mary's School will join more than 2 million others across the country to cross social and racial boundaries on Tuesday, October 18, 2011, as part of the 10th annual Mix It Up at Lunch Day, an event designed to foster respect and understanding in schools.

Mix It Up encourages students to sit with someone new in the cafeteria for just one day. Many schools are planning similar barrier-busting activities throughout the day. Some use the event to kick off a yearlong exploration of social divisions.
 
Jim Cox, St. Mary's Dean of Students, teaches the students not just to accept tolerance, but to embrace  it. "Teaching tolerance is integral to our mission, and the Mix It Up program is a fun way to do that."
 
During lunch, students sit with others wearing the same color and participate in fun ice-breaking activities. The idea is to get to know someone you wouldn't ordinarily sit with, who might be outside your ethnicity, religion, and culture. "People naturally gravitate toward what's familiar, and in doing so, they can miss opportunities to learn about the positive aspects of diversity. We show our students that diversity and variety is what makes life exciting," Cox states, adding that "lunchtime is a perfect environment for cultural exchange."

More than 5,000 schools are expected to participate in this year's Mix It Up at Lunch Day, which is sponsored by the Southern Poverty Law Center's Teaching Tolerance project.
 
Student organizers agree that Mix It Up at Lunch Day encourages students to cross group lines and meet new people. Mix It Up also fosters school spirit and unity, raises awareness about social boundaries and helps students meet different kinds of people.
 
The Southern Poverty Law Center launched Teaching Tolerance in 1991 to provide educators with free resources designed to reduce prejudice and promote respect for differences among our nation's children. The Mix It Up program began in 2002.