Creating A Community Of Tolerance And Acceptance In Middle School

Abstract

Middle school is a time where students start to figure out who they are and how they want to present themselves to the world. They begin to learn that being different can set them apart and can sometimes lead to intolerance and bullying from their peers. In navigating these changes, 11-14 year olds often experience social-emotional distress. For this project I will implement a monthly bulletin board series with corresponding homeroom activities to highlight and embrace students’ differences. The project will focus on topics such as bullying prevention, diversity, self-esteem, and kindness in an effort to shift mindsets and promote a community of understanding and acceptance at a small suburban middle school. Students will be surveyed at the beginning and end of the year to measure the changing levels of acceptance among peers to determine the program’s effectiveness and the impact on overall school climate.