Embracing diversity: a tolerant school community project
In Embracing Diversity, students identify a school-community concern, use design thinking to develop a response and try it with teacher guidance. The current idea lists ages 6-8, 9-12 and 13-15, four weeks and English. A partner class can compare ideas and give feedback.
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Help students make school more welcoming
What helps someone feel welcome at school? Ask students to consider a moment when a classmate could be left out, then develop an idea that would make joining in easier. A partner class can bring another perspective and give feedback on the proposed response.
Embracing Diversity: Building a Tolerant School Community is a Class2Class project idea about identifying intolerance in school life and using design thinking to respond. Students explore a concern, develop a possible solution and try it with teacher guidance.
Check the idea and agree the plan
The current listing gives age bands 6-8, 9-12 and 13-15, a four-week duration and English for collaboration. It connects the work with SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Review the idea with your partner teacher and adapt its scope, language support and timing to your classes.
Choose one school-community question both classes can discuss. For example: how could we welcome a new student, make group activities more inclusive or help classmates ask about a difference respectfully? Use teacher-chosen scenarios and let students choose what they are comfortable sharing.
Agree what each class will prepare, when partners will reply and how you will supervise the work. Classes can exchange drawings, short texts or recordings during their own lessons. Class2Class is free for teachers and students. The collaboration FAQ explains teacher-led sharing and optional live meetings.
A four-week sequence you can adapt
Use this suggested sequence as a starting point for the listed four-week idea. Both teachers can adjust the pace and activities to their students and school context.
- Week 1 - Explore respect: introduce the classes and discuss a teacher-chosen school scenario. Ask what would help the people involved feel included and respected.
- Week 2 - Choose a concern: agree one manageable question. Compare the classes' ideas and decide what a useful response should do.
- Week 3 - Make a prototype: sketch a welcome guide, a poster, a classroom routine or another small response. Share a paper version and ask partners what is clear, useful or missing.
- Week 4 - Improve and reflect: revise the idea after feedback, try an appropriate small change with school guidance and explain what students would do next.
Younger students can use drawings and teacher-supported explanations. Older students can compare reasons, consider who an idea helps and explain its practical limits. Give each student a contribution they can manage and a chance to respond to another class's work.
Choose resources for your students
The idea links introductory activities, readings and videos. Two resources to preview are the icebreaker ideas document and the paper prototypes video. Select material for your students' age, language and classroom context; the listed English collaboration language can be supported with pictures, model phrases and short explanations.
Prepare the examples and instructions your class needs, and check that your partner can open the chosen format. Students can sketch an idea on ordinary paper before deciding how to share it. Keep the prototype simple enough to revise after a partner's question.
Look at the choices students make
The project gives students opportunities to practise listening, teamwork, problem-solving and creative thinking. Use their drafts, replies and reflections to discuss what they understood and contributed.
- Can students describe another perspective respectfully before replying?
- Can they explain how their idea responds to the chosen concern?
- What did the partner class's feedback change in the prototype?
- What did each student contribute, and what would they improve next time?
Connect the work with the International Day for Tolerance
November 16 can be a starting point for the project or a date to share students' work. UNESCO describes tolerance through respect for different cultures and ways of being. The International Day for Tolerance guide offers the wider context and other classroom activities.
Sources
- Class2Class. Embracing Diversity: Building a Tolerant School Community. Current project idea.
- UNESCO. International Day for Tolerance.
- Class2Class. Questions from schools, DPOs and partners.
- Icebreakers Ideas. PDF linked from the Class2Class project idea.
- CreativeCharlie. Design Thinking - Paper Prototypes. Video.
Choose a project to discuss with your partner
Explore the project idea and decide which school-community question your students could work on together. Agree the first contribution and reply date, then give students time to develop, share and improve a small response.
