The No Place for Hate Campaign at Aliso Niguel is recruiting upperclassmen for a student body that will engage students in creating positive change in our school community.
The goal is to put together a focus-based team composed of a variety of students. The club Advisor, Ms. Torres, shared that she asked teachers to nominate students from different groups, such as music and sports, to increase diversity among participants.
The No Place for Hate Club is also trying to get parents involved so they can participate and support ANHS as we work on improving the school climate and developing greater respect for differences. Ms. Torres added that No Place for Hate will likely hold an assembly similar to last year, explaining the goals of the program and encouraging students to sign their pledge.
President of the No Place for Hate Club at ANHS, Cindy Yang (12), said, “I think my favorite part about being involved in NPFH is knowing the actions I take matter. I understand that there is a lot of division in our school, and simply being mindful and taking action for every little thing makes me happy. I see NPFH continuing strong in the future. As one of the first No Place for Hate schools in our district, we are on our way to a more equal future with the help of students and staff.”
No Place For Hate is an anti-defamation league that follows a four-phase approach to encourage leadership and unite the school’s community. The first phase is to form a committee of students who are passionate about initiating positive change throughout their school.
The second phase is to sign the No Place For Hate Pledge and encourage the school community to dedicate to their role in making the school environment a safe and accepting place. The third phase is to assess the school climate and ensure that the entire school is heard and their needs are acknowledged.
The final phase is to implement activities that inspire the students and staff to reflect on past circumstances and focus on new ways to challenge hateful behavior.
At the moment, this national program includes roughly 1.4 million students, 100,000 educators, and over 1,600 schools. Their anti-bias framework inspires students to reflect on the relationship between power, bias and identity.
The origin of this and similar anti-bias programs dates back to 1985 when they were designed to combat prejudice and address community issues regarding discrimination. The ongoing success of these programs spread throughout the country and led to several national awards, including the Peabody, Gabriel and Scripps-Howard awards.
Olympic Gold Medalist and Bestselling Author, Laurie Hernandez, partnered with No Place For Hate to stress the importance of safe learning communities. She emphasized that “No Place For Hate is not just a tagline–it is a movement. Its power lies in the fact that every one of us can contribute by the way we treat other people. Together we create campus communities that are connected by respect and appreciation for diversity and a commitment to equity.”
Upperclassmen are encouraged to join the No Place for Hate club which will eventually compose a student body dedicated to making our school a more inclusive environment and combat prejudice.
