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Not In Our Town Launches Schools Initiative

Clotee Allochuku
/
Flickr

The Bloomington-Normal chapter of Not In Our Town is taking aim at bullying, discrimination and hate talk in the public schools. The group, which promotes racial and cultural understanding, is launching Not In Our Schools with a series of training sessions for students at the high school and junior high levels. Camille Taylor, a retired educator and one of the coordinators, says Not In Our Town's wants to train student leaders who can tackle common social problems in the schools.

Taylor says the students will choose the issues they want to work on. The theme of the workshop is "Be the Change." Thursday's workshop will mark the first of on-going efforts to promote better understanding in the schools. Five schools, including Bloomington High School and Junior High; Normal Community High School and Normal West, and University High are participating. Taylor says Not In Our Town hopes to hold programs eventually at other local schools.

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Taylor says the goal is to train student leaders who will carry Not In Our Town's principles into their adulthood.

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Additional goals include creating collaborative relationships among schools; providing a forum for youth to express their concerns; identifying access to further resources and tools; and establishing safer schools.

At the students' request the Thursday workshop will also include a meeting with local police chiefs, Brendan Heffner and Rick Bleichner.

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