Miss America 2012 at YWCPA.
Laura Kaeppeler, Miss America 2012, brought a message of encouragement, determination, and persistence to the Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy during a recent visit to the school.
HISD’s Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy became the latest HISD campus to cement its pledge to end bullying when it was designated a “No Place for Hate” school earlier this month by the Anti-Defamation League.
To earn the title, students had to complete three projects over the course of the past school year to demonstrate their commitment to ending intolerance.
At YWCPA, girls took part in a number of activities designed to help them appreciate and celebrate their differences, including one game called “planters and lumberjacks” in which students were encouraged to use their words to build each other up rather than cut each other down.
“We have a diverse student population, so it is very important that all individuals feel at home,” explained YWCPA No Place for Hate Coordinator (and art teacher) Lynne Bennett. “Our goal is to create a nurturing environment where we can learn from one another’s cultures and respect people for their unique qualities.”
To learn more about the No Place for Hate program, visit the ADL’s website. A full list of No Place for Hate campuses in HISD as of 2011 is here (.pdf).