SIS Recognized for Helping Students Cross Social Boundaries

A special lunch program that strives to eliminate bias and misconceptions formed within a school community, and help students cross social boundaries earned Shorewood Intermediate School a spot on a list of schools that excel at teaching tolerance.

The school is one of 63 schools across the nation, and just two in Wisconsin, to be named a Mix It Up Model School by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance program. The program helps school communities increase inclusivity and respect, mainly through Mix It Up at Lunch Day. The national campaign was launched 10 years ago to help students get out of their comfort zone and meet someone they typically would not engage with during lunch.

In order to be considered a Mix It Up Model School, a particular school must meet certain criteria, including hosting a Lunch Day and two additional programs or events. 

“I am very honored that SIS received this award,” SIS principal Anthony Strancke said. “We are continually working to build bridges among our students and Mix It Up at Lunch Day was a great opportunity to do just that. We want to break down the barriers that lead to social isolation, therefore increasing student engagement in school.”

Questioning, crossing social boundaries

Before they were aware of the Mix It Up lunch, Strancke said school leaders had taken steps to help students build relationships. 

There are many cases where popular students have to answer to their friends if they decide to sit at a different table, Strancke said. 

"The peer pressure is so great in middle school," Strancke said. "What the Mix It Up lunches did was it gave the kids the freedom to sit and meet others students without having to answer questions about why they weren't sitting with their friends.

"It forced them to interact and socialize with students they may never have talked to," he added. 

On the other end of the spectrum, there are some students who are in social isolation and struggled to connect with other kids, Strancke said. 

"Think about how upsetting it would be to walk into a cafeteria with hundreds of kids and feeling like you don't have any connection with any other kids," Strancke said.  

He said he had kids come to him and say they hated coming to school and going to lunch because they didn't feel like they belonged, but the lunches helped those students make connections. 

"We have seen a huge drop in student issues over the past years," he said. "It's become a real positive for the school."

Sparking the conversation

SIS physical education teacher Jan Zehren, who has been organizing the lunches, said each school year starts off with a Mix It Up lunch, grouping students by their homerooms. As the school year progresses, they switch up the groups — by class or birth month, for example. Organizers then initiate conversation starters by having students fill out surveys and grouping them based on their interests.

Last October, Zehren organized and hosted a lunch day where students and faculty watched a film educating them on the differences of natural and drug-induced highs. Afterwards, each student completed a survey listing their three natural highs, and was grouped based on common interests at lunch. 

There were students who shared an interest in running or reading, Zehren said. 

"If students don't know each other, they may not know how to initiate a conversation," she said. "The students were excited to see who shared their common interests when they came to lunch."

"It's really a positive thing," Zehren said. "The kids start to build relationship, and it helps to avoid issues down the road like bullying."

For a list of other Mix It Up Schools, or for more information on the criteria, visit Tolerance.org.