When students in the No Place for Hate (NPFH) Club at Stiles Middle School discovered that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) would not host its annual No Place for Hate Student Symposium at the Texas Capitol, they decided to bring that same experience to Leander ISD.
In partnership with the Leander Middle School coalition, the Stiles Middle School NPFH coalition’s student leaders developed and implemented Leander ISD’s first-ever No Place for Hate forum. “Our goal with this endeavor was to empower students with the courage and tools to create opportunities that promote unity, diversity, inclusion, and respect throughout LISD campuses and communities,” said Nina Steinle, No Place for Hate staff advisor at Stiles MS.
Along with the Stiles MS No Place for Hate club, three other middle school NPFH coalitions participated in the forum: Leander MS, Wiley MS, and Canyon Ridge MS. The forum included a guest speaker from the ADL, presentations from each coalition, student-led breakout sessions, and a group round table discussion. Together, the four student coalitions developed a shared slogan for the next school year: Give respect to get respect.
For the Stiles MS student leadership team, organizing and leading the forum has been a transformative experience.
“During my time in this club, I have developed my leadership and project management skills,” said Aarna Mishra, event planning coordinator and student leader for the Stiles MS No Place for Hate Club. “I love working toward ensuring our school is a welcoming place for all and seeing firsthand the response it elicits from students.”
The Stiles MS student leaders were also excited about the progress that was made at the forum. “During this event, we discussed different ways we could face challenges ocurring in our schools,” said Laasya Sunkara, artistic director and student leader for the Stiles NPFH club. “I love seeing our efforts to fix things pay off.”
To build on the success of this initial forum, student leaders and club advisors plan to grow the event beyond middle school in the future. “The absolute best part of all of this is the commitment and the leadership of the students in this process,” Steinle said. “We are so thrilled with how our event turned out and how amazing all the students were at planning and facilitating the learning opportunity for our district.”
The No Place for Hate program is a framework designed to help students combat bias, bullying, and hate with the ultimate goal of creating inclusive and respectful school environments. “Experiencing hate creates a powerful, negative impact on an individual,” said Sreenaath Palaniappan, student leader for the Stiles NPFH club. “It can be a difficult concept for students our age to grasp, so our coalition aims to help students understand and break the cycle of hate, and promote inclusivity. The goal of our club is always to provide a safe and inclusive environment for every student at our school.”
Learn more about the No Place for Hate program here.
