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Mix It Up at Lunch Day is October 18, 2011 

It’s time to start planning …
New to Mix It Up at Lunch Day? Or maybe you participated before and want to build on that experience? This guide is for you.

We’re not going to overwhelm you with information. Here, you’ll find six key steps – with concrete advice – to plan, publicize and pull off Mix It Up at Lunch Day.

Our advice comes from the success of Model Schools all across the country, many of which have been Mixing It Up for years.

The wheel is already invented. This guide will help you get it rolling.

Just what is Mix It Up at Lunch Day?
A national campaign launched by Teaching Tolerance a decade ago, Mix It Up at Lunch Day encourages students to identify, question and cross social boundaries.

In our surveys, students have identified the cafeteria as the place where divisions are most clearly drawn. So on one day – October 18 this school year – we ask students to move out of their comfort zones and connect with someone new over lunch. Some schools choose to host a unique activity to get the students involved with their community as is shown in this poster by the Canyons School District.

It’s a simple act with profound implications. Studies have shown that interactions across group lines can help reduce prejudice. When students interact with those who are different from them, biases and misperceptions can fall away.

Resources
Mix It Up offers an array of free online resources designed to help school groups and classroom teachers explore the issue of social boundaries. These activities can be used as ice-breakers during the planning process, to get the group geared up for the event; or they can be used as classroom activities by teacher allies seeking to support the Mix It Up effort.

Mix It Up Planning Checklist (also as PDF)

Click here to browse through all the “Mixers,” or click on the activity below if you just want to get started:

Me and We: We are All Similar and Different
The exercise calls on diverse groups to rate items (broccoli, action movies and so on) based on how much they like or enjoy them. Students are standing up, moving along a spectrum from “really like” to “really dislike.” A starting list of eight items is provided. Add to the exercise by brainstorming a longer list of items among the planning group or the group of students involved; that brainstorming exercise is, in itself, a good ice- breaker.

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