Suggested Activity to Promote Racial Harmony in Schools

Elementary Schools \ High Schools

Elementary Schools

Consider becoming "Partners in Harmony" with another elementary school whose students have a different cultural heritage.

Hold a:

• Partners in Harmony Picnic.
• Partners in Harmony Cultural Field Trip and Lunch, one class at a time.
• Partners in Harmony Day - each school host a class from the partner school for lunch and recess and vice-versa.
• Partners in Harmony Field Day.
• Partners in Harmony Movie and Popcorn Night - each school host their twin school.
• Partners in Harmony social activities for all adult groups, e.g., school board, faculties, etc., apart from the student’s activities.
• Partners in Harmony Liturgy. Mix your choirs. Teach songs ahead of time to all classes.
• Partners in Harmony Read Across America Day. Have the eighth graders read to the kindergarten students of the partner school.
• Program Exchange. Attend each other’s Christmas, Black History or other cultural programs.

At your own school:

• Faculty and Staff read and discuss the pastoral. Discuss how it can be age appropriately implemented at each grade level.
• Include a daily prayer for racial harmony in all assembly prayers, Liturgies, school board, and PTA meetings.
• Hold a racial harmony prayer, poetry, essay and/or art contest. Use the students’ prayers at assemblies, Liturgies. Display the art.
• Use the Kids’ Clarion to highlight your activities and to publish children’s prayers, art, essays and poems.
• Have a year round bulletin board in foyer or cafeteria with a racial harmony theme. Post pictures of Partners in Harmony activities, students’ prayers, essays, poems and art.
• Have students interview the elders in their own families to learn the family history, cultural practices and celebrations. Share these stories with their Partners in Harmony.
• Hold a Multi-Cultural Day - invite speakers, story-tellers, musicians, chefs, college professors, artists. Ask the guests to wear their native dress if possible.
• Involve each class and their room parents in planning activities.
• Teach the lives of the saints mentioned in the implementation plan of the pastoral, #4 under Recommendations for Parishes.
• Purchase pictures and/or statues of these Saints.
• If your school population is ethnically mixed ensure that all are represented on your Student Council, PTA and school boards.
• On classroom bulletin boards let students display their baby or childhood pictures. Have them find pictures of babies of all ethnic and racial backgrounds. Help your class choose a caption such as "We are children of the Lord", "Children of the King", "Jesus loves the Little Children of the World.
• Ask the music teacher to teach a song such as "Jesus Loves the Little Children" to tie in with your bulletin board.
• Stock your library with multi-ethnic authors and books. When having a book sale, check that the company can provide multi-ethnic materials.
• Read the folklore of your own student populations and other ethnic people and see the similarities and differences.
• Celebrate the major holidays and feast days of all cultures.
• Check out the many websites that promote racial harmony.
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High Schools

Become "Partners in Harmony" with a high school whose students are of a different cultural heritage.

Hold a:

• Partners in Harmony Night - bowl, play basketball, always with mixed teams.
• Partners in Harmony Walk - witness to the city. End with a picnic at a park or at one of the schools. Involve parents, school boards, PTA Boards, etc.
• Partners in Harmony Cultural Field Trip and Lunch e.g. African-American Museum, one class at a time.
• Partners in Harmony Day - a class from one school spend the day or part of a day at the other school and vice-versa.
• Partners in Harmony Liturgy - campus ministry from one school bring choir and lead liturgy at the other school and vice versa.
• Partners in Harmony Movie and Popcorn Night - watch and discuss a movie that deals with racial differences/harmony.
• Partners in Harmony social activities for all adult groups, e.g., school board, faculties, etc., apart from the student’s activities. 

At your own school:

• Faculty read and discuss the pastoral, "Made in the Image and Likeness of God"
• Involve various departments in reading and discussing the pastoral with the students, e.g. social studies, religion, language arts.
• Include a daily prayer for racial harmony in all assembly prayers, and also at all Liturgies, school board, and PTA meetings. 
• Hold a Racial Harmony prayer, essay and or poetry contest. Use these at assemblies, Liturgies, etc., and have them published in the Clarion Herald.
• Have a year round bulletin board with a Racial Harmony theme. Post quotes from the pastoral, pictures of Partners in Harmony activities, students’ prayers, essay and poetry.
• Study students’ own and other cultures and appreciate the differences as varied manifestations of God’s life in us all.
• Hold a Multi-Cultural Day - invite speakers, musicians, chefs, college professors, artists. Ask the guests to wear their native dress if possible.
• Involve departments e.g. social studies, religion, language, music in planning activities.
• Participate in Read Across America Week. Arrange for one of your classes to read to the kindergarten students of a local elementary school with a different cultural background.
• Stock your school library with a multi-racial authors and books. 
• Celebrate the major holidays and feast days of all cultures.
• Teach about the lives of the Saints mentioned in the pastoral and display their pictures throughout your school. 
• Check out the many websites promoting racial harmony.