Students Recognized For Diversity Program

Published: December 9, 2004

St. Peter Claver Regional School students attend a “Power Over Prejudice” conference at Georgia Tech on Oct. 8. The students attended workshops promoting an appreciation of diversity and tolerance. The school was honored for its work in 2003-2004 to combat bullying. Shown above are the 10 students on the team and Brenda Collick, school counselor, back row, left, and Linda Turner-Dash, middle school coordinator, back row, right. (Photo by TooWah of G.I.G. Photography)

DECATUR—On Friday, Oct. 8, 10 students from St. Peter Claver Regional School’s seventh and eighth grades attended this year’s “Power Over Prejudice” conference at Georgia Tech. After spending the day in workshops learning how to promote an appreciation of diversity and tolerance of those who are different from themselves, the group was surprised with an award at the closing event.

The students were presented with a plaque for second place honoring the school’s follow-up activities after a group from St. Peter Claver attended the conference in the fall of 2003. The plaque reads: “In recognition of your school’s commitment to the promotion of diversity and tolerance, through your ongoing efforts based on the skills you acquired at the Atlanta Prejudice Awareness Summit 2003-2004.”

Last year’s attendees returned to St. Peter Claver after the conference and met to plan how they would use what they had learned at the conference. They decided to sponsor an “Anti-Bullying Week” in April 2004. During that week each team member met with a younger class to help them create a skit for the “Anti-Bullying Pep Rally” at the end of the week. They also helped each class think about themselves, how they were special and different from others, as they created a puzzle piece to be added to a “community puzzle.” Each class presented its skit, rap or song and its puzzle piece at the pep rally in April. The follow-up report of these activities was sent to the organizers of the conference, and based on those activities the winners were chosen for this conference presentation.

Ten students are selected for this conference each year based on the following criteria: positive role model characteristics, good citizenship and conduct, strong leadership skills, peer communication skills and diversity. Those who attended in October were Anquenetta Beavers, Angeline Brew, Gwendolyn Brown, Breona Castillo, Jenne Dumay, Jenee Fisher, Jewellian Griffith, Ryan McNeil, Dujon Parker and Brandon Sessions. Those who attended in 2003 were Alexander Evans, Darius Gittens, Bianca King, Mercedes Lewis, Ryan McNeil, Morgan Prime, Morgan Taylor, Kaleb Tesfamarian and Christian Washington.