On April 25th, over 170 students, family members and educators from all over the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Washington D.C. region (D.C., MD, NC, VA) came together to honor their schools, which the ADL designated as No Place for Hate® (NPFH) for the 2017-2018 school year.
NPFH is a program in which ADL works with schools to improve and maintain a positive school climate so that all students can thrive. ADL provides an organizing framework and resources to empower students, educators and parents to carry out initiatives promoting respect and inclusion in their schools and communities.
The second annual regional No Place for Hate Recognition Ceremony was held at the U.S. Navy Memorial Heritage Center in downtown Washington D.C. Having received their No Place for Hate designation—which includes a customized banner to display proudly in their halls—these schools are certifiably leading the way in the grassroots fight against bias, bigotry, and bullying in their communities.
The ceremony kicked off with a video message of support from Seth Meyers of NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers, and was followed by a town hall style discussion about the student’s experiences and accomplishments in implementing NPFH at their respective schools. Initiatives highlighted included those designed to make sure students never eat alone at lunch, raise self-esteem and confidence by carrying out random acts of kindness submitted by their peers, and providing spaces for those who feel bullied or are the targets of bigotry to come together with allies in their communities.
Awards were also given to Moira Snyder, a student at Brentsville District High School in Nokesville, VA, and Shauntae Fitcheard Spaugh, an educator at College Gardens Elementary School in Rockville, MD, for their outstanding leadership in combating bias and bullying in their schools.
Also in attendance were Virginia State Delegate Danica Roem (D-13)—the first openly transgender person elected and seated in a U.S. statehouse—and Washington D.C. City Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), who represent participating schools.
Seth Gordon-Lipkin, ADL’s Washington, D.C. Education Director said, “This year’s ceremony was incredibly moving, and the impact made by these students, educators, and family members was on full display. They were unified in their message: hatred has no place in the hallways and classrooms of their schools. Their excitement for the program was contagious, and I’m proud of all of the work they have done to promote diversity and inclusion in their communities.”
Congratulations to the 2017-2018 Participating Schools:
A. Mario Loiederman Middle School in Silver Spring, Maryland
Alice Deal Middle School in Washington, D.C.
Arcola Elementary School in Silver Spring, Maryland
Artspace Charter School in Swannanoa, North Carolina
Brentsville District High School in Nokesville, Virginia
Bull Run Middle School in Gainesville, Virginia
Clarksburg High School in Clarksburg, Maryland
College Gardens Elementary School in Rockville, Maryland
Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg, Maryland
Elko Middle School in Sandston, Virginia
Gar-Field High School in Woodbridge, Virginia
George C. Marshall High School in Falls Church, Virginia
Independence School Local I in Baltimore, Maryland
J.W. Alvey Elementary School in Haymarket, Virginia
John Hayden Johnson Middle School in Washington, D.C.
Mount Saint Joseph High School in Baltimore, Maryland
Potomac Middle School in Dumfries, Virginia
Potomac Senior High School in Dumfries, Virginia
Ronald Wilson Reagan Middle School in Haymarket, Virginia
Saunders Middle School in Manassas, Virginia
Shining Stars Montessori Academy Public Charter School in Washington, D.C.
Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, Maryland
Stonewall Jackson High School in Manassas, Virginia
Virginia Avenue Charlotte Dehart Elementary School in Winchester, Virginia
Weller Road Elementary School in Silver Spring, Maryland
Whittier Education Campus in Washington, D.C.
Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland
