High school lunch time is typically a time where you can see the hierarchy at school--who’s popular, who isn’t. For many students, the isolation can be devastating.
But one Colorado school is bringing people together and preventing bullying in a unique way.
A table brought students Sydney Martin and Mirsadys Wilson together.
“I came over here and I just wanted to make sure she was OK,” says Martin. “And I instantly saw the quote and I looked at her piece and I was like, ‘Dang.’”
The quote reads, “Be kind.”
It inspired martin to sit with Wilson, who was eating alone.
“She was just like being really supportive,” says Wilson. “So, I was like, ‘wow, girl’s cool.’”
That's the point of the Together Table--to make inclusion and connection easy.
People at the National Mall in DC added the positive messages on the table. Then, the table was gifted to Central High School in Pueblo, Colorado by the No Bully Organization.
“At first, they were a little timid. They weren't sure what it is,” says assistant principal Zach Odell. “They saw these little stools and all this riding on it and they didn't quite know what to take, because they're just used to being in their comfort zone. But once they really got going with the table, it turned out pretty good.”
Odell says it's helps make lunch time less isolating, especially for students who may be bullied or excluded.
“This table eliminates that you can't exclude somebody from sit with you because of the way this table is shaped,” Odell says.
He and students say its open design makes meeting new people less intimidating.
