welcome to day without hate
Day Without Hate is a student led, grassroots organization that promotes nonviolence, unity, and respect in our schools. After the shootings at Virginia
Tech in 2007, students at Standley Lake High School in Colorado asked their
classmates to wear white in order to show a commitment and trust in each
other to make their school a safer place. The day was an overwhelming success.
Since then, students around the world have taken this incredibly positive day
to their communities to say that we will not tolerate violence or hate, and we
will reach out to friends and acquaintances and say, “We’re all in this together.”
This year, we’re hoping you can create a Day without Hate in your school.
Rachel’s Challenge
& Day Without Hate
- A Perfect Match
Rachel’s story of deliberately reaching out with
kindness and compassion is the cornerstone of all
Rachel’s Challenge programs. Her story awakens a
need for connection: connection with self and with
others.
Leveraging this hope and desire for change, Rachel’s
Challenge uses interactive training and classroom
resources to teach techniques and strategies that
promote connection and safety in the classroom and
school. Together, these lead to the achievement of
better social-emotional and academic learning.
Occasionally, we come across another organization whose mission and message line up perfectly
with our own. This is the case with Day Without
Hate. Day Without Hate is a student led, grassroots
organization that promotes non-violence, unity, and
respect in our schools. It is one of those strategies
that help promote connection and safety.
Held on the last Friday of April, Day Without Hate
brings your students, along with other students
around the country, together to show the world that
when we focus on forgiving the past and accepting
the future, when we unite with other students and
disregard all our differences, we are experiencing
how to be part of something bigger than ourselves
and showing that the power of love is stronger than
hate. Just like Rachel’s Challenge encourages people
to be “candle lighters, not just darkness fighters”,
Day Without Hate makes the powerful statement
that we are not just anti-violence, but we are propeace.
This year Rachel’s Challenge is partnering with Day
Without Hate and promoting it as a great project for
your Friends of Rachel Club. Day Without Hate has
done a great job of doing a lot of the work so the
project itself is an executable, turn-key project. It
is very “doable” and gives the FOR Club and entire
campus something to work toward throughout the
school-year to help keep the Rachel’s Challenge
momentum going. Some schools are also combining Day Without Hate with their year-end Rachel’s
Rally to recognize and celebrate the year’s accomplishments.
The attached Day Without Hate handbook tells you
about their organization, the project itself with a
scope and sequence timetable, and gives you everything you need to help your students put on their
own Day Without Hate.
- Rob Unger, CEO of Rachel’s Challenge
Our Values,
our mission
Day Without Hate is a student-led,
grassroots organization that promotes
nonviolence, respect, and unity within
our schools.
Day Without Hate is more than just
one day where we are nice to each
other in the hallways. It is more than
just twenty four hours where peace is
our purpose. It is a day to show the
world what can be done when hate is
discharged and how the power of love
will always be the strongest force on
Earth. When we focus on forgiving
the past and accepting the future, we
are ensuring not only a peaceful day,
but a peaceful mind. When we unite
with other students and disregard all
differences, we are experiencing how
to be part of something bigger than
just ourselves.
When we wear white on the last Friday in April, we are announcing to
the world our intentions to not be just
anti-violence, but pro-peace. One day
without hate turns into many lives full
of peace.
who are we doing this for
Everyone. More specifically:
• Anyone who has been affected by
bullying or violence in their school.
• Anyone who is concerned/affected by
recent occurrences of school violence.
• A day of remembrance for victims of
school violence.
• A day of hope. We will not be
marked by school violence. We will
rise above and take back our schools
by committing to those around us.
why are we doing this
• To create that sense of unity in our
school community.
• To learn to set aside petty differences
and be accepting and tolerant in a real
life environment.
• To acknowledge victims of school
shootings and attempt to stop what
causes these tragedies.
• Again, how amazing would it be if we
really could get everyone to participate
and actually make a noticeable difference in our day-to-day-routine-likeschool-lives for just one day?
• What if everyone didn’t just go
through the motions and actually tried
to (for lack of a less cliché way to say
it…) “leave their comfort zone” for
just one day? ... There’s only one way
to find out if it will actually work.
3 REQUIREMENTS FOR DWOH
1. WEAR WHITE
2. TRANSFORM THE
SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT
WITH POSTERS WITH MESSAGES OF PEACE & UNITY
3. DON’T BE HATIN’
Timeline
by the end of january
by valentine’s day
• Advertise and form a DWOH planning committee for your school. Try for around 10-20
people or so. Make this group all inclusive.
• Encourage leaders and members from student
government, peer counselors, NHS, Key Club,
and students who aren’t involved in any formal
extra-curricular activities.
• Communicate to all clubs and organizations in
your school the intent of DWOH. Let them know
this will need to be a school-wide effort. All are
not only welcome, but necessary in order to pull
off the magnitude of this event.
by the end of february
• Begin and advertising and selling DWOH t-shirts.
• Shirts can only be ordered in bulk from our website. We do not sell individual shirts.
• Designs change annually and are revealed
website.
every February. For more info on shirts, visit
clickour
here.
before spring break
• Place your bulk order for t-shirts on our website.
• All proceeds from shirt sales go to fund our
DWOH grants, scholarships, and rally.
after spring break
• Send teachers (and possibly parents) a letter
that lets them know what DWOH is and why
you’re doing it.
website
for examples
of letters.
these letters.
• Visit
Clickour
here
for examples
of these
A week before DWOH
• Hold a final poster making party to make as
many signs as you can to decorate the school.
Schools usually make 400-500. They use tempera paints and white butcher paper.
• Invite as many people and clubs as you can to
be part of this, even if they had no other part
planning the day. See if your principal can
spring for pizza!
• Visit
Here’s
list of ideas
write
on the
ourawebsite
for atolist
of ideas
to posters.
write on
the posters.
Tuesday, the week of DWOH
• In a prominant place in you school, hang a
poster that says “Why We Wear White” with a
list of fallen victims of school shootings.
• This helps confront backlash and people who
want to “protest.” The poster and list basically
says, “Really? You’re in favor of school violence?”
This is important to have up BEFORE the big day.
immediately after spring break
• Begin advertising DWOH around your school
• Begin making inspirational posters to transform
the look of your building on DWOH. Continue
making posters throughout April. You’ll want
HUNDREDS of posters to really make your school
feel different on DWOH. Try to use tempera
paints and white butcher paper.
two weeks before DWOH
• Plan activities students can participate in during
the day. We have tons of ideas on our website.
website.
• Make a shopping list! One things you really
need a lot of is duct tape.
Monday, the week of DWOH
• Begin massive promotions around school.
• Slather advertising posters and fliers everywhere in the
school
• Get on your school announcements to promote the day
• If you can, get students to go into as many classrooms as
possible to personally invite students to join in the day.
Some schools go into all English classes with students
armed with talking points to promote the day.
• Get people to start posting on all social media to promote
the day.
Thursday, the night before DWOH
• Hang posters throughout school to truly transform the school environment. Make this a party,
as well! More pizza!
• Arrange stations around the school for various
activities for the big day.
• Ask everyone to post on all social media to
remind them to wear white tomorrow!
DWOH IS THE LAST FRIDAY OF APRIL!
T-SHIRTS
While it is not necessary to
purchase DWOH shirts to hold
the event at your school, we sell
thousands of our unique design
every year. All of the proceeds
from sales go to fund DWOH
school grants, student scholarships, and rallies. Shirts can only
be ordered in bulk by schools or
businesses.
ordering guidelines
1. Go to www.daywithouthatejeffco.com
2. If your school has ordered in the past,
please use last year’s account information.
If you have lost that info, please contact
Stephen Holmes at [email protected]
3. If new to the site, click on “login” and
create an account that can be used to place
a bulk order for your school. The account
name and email should be the person who
is going to be in charge of the program at
their school with respect to distributing and
collecting order forms.
4. After an account has been created, click
on account and input the billing and shipping information. This is important as this
information will allow the respective high
school as well as the T-shirt company to
contact your school in the event there are
questions.
5. When order forms have been collected,
a bulk order is to be placed by March 17.
After this date, schools can inform their
students and parents to order online. The
price will remain the same but shipping will
be charged and t-shirts will be delivered to
their home address.
6. To place an order, click on “Products” on
the menu bar or DWOH t-shirts under “Our
Categories”. Both adult and youth T-shirts
are available.
7. For Payment Type, select “Invoice” instead of the credit card option. Credit cards
are to use used for individual or personal
orders. The T-shirt supplier will invoice
the school for the T-shirts in the middle of
April. Payment is due April 30.
8. The last step necessary in filling out your
order is to enter your school name and hit
the process order button at the bottom.
9. Once you submit the order, you will
receive an email confirmation.
10. Shirts will be delivered to your school on
or before the third week of April. We ask
that you distribute the T-shirts based on the
order forms to the respective classes. If staff
or the PTA is not available to help you sort
your shirts.
11. The order forms are to stay at your
school at all times!
If you have any questions, contact your high
school representative or:
Ben Reed,
Executive Director of Day Without Hate:
303-982-3243,
Email: [email protected]
Or
Stephen Holmes,
4impact!/T-shirt Company:
303-931-7747
Email: [email protected]
suggested activities
We’ve got a lot of activities for you.
Like, a lot. There’s even more on our
website: daywithouthate.org.
Rule #1: Don’t try to do them all.
Please. Pick one or two that sound
easy and accessible for your school.
We highly suggest the Peace Posters
and Passing Period Challenges, and
not just because of the alliteration
of the P sound. They’re fun, and
they reshape the school climate and
culture for a day.
Rule #2: Have faith in your student
body. If you pitch this the right way
before Day Without Hate, people
will participate in these activities.
Even those kids who are too cool for
school. We’ve seen it happen thousands of times over.
There’s something about DWOH
that resonates with everyone. Embrace it. Trust your student body.
People will follow where you lead
them.
Peace
posters
This is one of the hallmarks of Day
Without Hate. Transform the environment by hanging posters with messages of peace, nonviolence, and unity
in your school. Some schools make
as many as 500 posters. The idea is
to change the environment of your
building so that it feels different on
DWOH. Visit daywithouthate.org for
ideas of what to write on the posters
“
I am not artistic, but I’ve seen the
posters every year, so
I thought I’d try. I
painted a smiley face.
It’s awesome.
- Sydney, grade 8
make it a party
1. SET A DATE FOR A POSTER-MAKING
PARTY A FEW DAYS BEFORE DWOH
2. INVITE EVERY CLUB, TEAM, AND STUDENT
IN YOUR SCHOOL
3. PRE-CUT BUTCHER PAPER FOR POSTERS
AND GET LOTS OF PAINT AND BRUSHES
4. PLAY SOME MUSIC WHILE EVERYBODY
MAKES THEIR POSTERS
5. GET YOUR PRINCIPAL TO SPRING FOR
PIZZA TO MAKE IT EVEN MORE FUN
Passing Period
Challenges
Right before the bell rings for each
class, get on the school intercom and
challenge people to do something
peaceful during passing period – say
hello to five people you don’t know,
give three people a hug, high five everyone you see, etc. Make things even
better by playing happy, hopeful music over the intercom during passing
periods.
“
Seeing all of my
classmates step outside of themselves to
high five strangers
was amazing. It felt
like we were one, if
only for a little time.
- Nick, grade 11
Top 10 Playlist
1. ONE DAY - Matisyahu
2. HELLO MY OLD HEART - The Oh Hello’s
3. ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE - The Beatles
4. WANTED - Hunter Hayes
5. NOTHING MORE - The Alternate Routes
6. I LIVED - OneRepublic
7. SHAKE IT OFF - Taylor Swift
8. WHERE’S THE LOVE - Black Eyed Peas
9. BEST DAY OF MY LIFE - American Authors
10. MAN IN THE MIRROR - Michael Jackson
letters
of amends
Create a station where students can
write to someone apologizing for
something, thanking them ... just getting something off their mind and out
in the open. Some schools have just
purchased a large block of construction paper and some markers and
opened up a table for students to write
to one another. Then, as soon as possible after DWOH, deliver these letters to keep the spirit of DWOH alive.
We’ve seen this activity literally repair
friendships right in front of our eyes.
“
I wrote a letter to my best friend
from elementary
school. We haven’t
spoken since 5th
grade. I hope we can
be friends again.
- Katie, grade 12
making it happen
1. GET A BUNCH OF BLACK SHARPIES AND
A TON OF CONSTRUCTION PAPER (LIKE 500
SHEETS OR SO.
2. SET OUT THE SUPPLIES ON A TABLE IN A
PROMINANT PLACE IN THE SCHOOL.
3. HAVE A FEW PEOPLE WORK THE TABLE
EVERY PERIOD OF THE SCHOOL DAY.
4. COLLECT THE LETTERS IN A BIG BOX
5. GET THEM ALL DELIVERED THE WEEK
AFTER DAY WITHOUT HATE!
morning hugs
and kisses
At the beginning of the day, greet
students as they walk into the building with Hershey’s Hugs and Kisses
to start the day right. Playing music at
the front of the building makes things
even more festive.
“
There is no
better way to start the
day than with
chocolate.
- Morgan, grade 10
why HUGS AND KISSES?
1. IT’S A SMALL GESTURE TO PROMOTE
FRIENDSHIP.
2. IT’S STARTS OFF DWOH IN A FUN,
POSITIVE WAY.
3. DAY WITHOUT HATE CELEBRATES OUR
SIMILARITIES, AND THIS CAN MAKE AN
INSTANT CONNECTION.
4. ONE OUT OF FOUR HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS IS SECRETLY A CHOCOHOLIC.
‘WHY WE WEAR
WHITE’ POSTERS
Display a poster in your school with a
list of victims of school shootings to
remind your classmates why DWOH
is so important. Many schools hang
a sign over this list that says, “Why
We Wear White.” These posters help
confront backlash from students
who want to wear black to “protest”
DWOH. The poster basically says,
“Really? You’re in favor of school violence?” This is important to have up
BEFORE the big day.
“
I look at the
poster, and I just
can’t believe there
are so many names.
There are so many
schools.
- Brian, grade 9
4 facts on school shootings
1. OVER 100 SCHOOL SHOOTINGS HAVE
HAPPENED SINCE SANDY HOOK IN 2012
2. 16.6% OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
REPORTED BRINGING A WEAPON TO
SCHOOL IN A 2011 SURVEY
3. HALF OF THE VICTIMS OF SCHOOL
SHOOTINGS WEREN’T DIRECTLY TARGETED
BY THE SHOOTER
4. TODAY’S STUDENTS CAN HELP END THIS
MADNESS
SOCIAL MEDIA
CENTRAL
Challenge your classmates to take pics
and use a DWOH hashtag unique to
your school. Hit up Instagram,
Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and
anything else you can think of. Some
schools challenge students to post a
selfie with a new friend with #DWOH.
“
I basically live
on Snapchat. Of
course I want DWOH
to dominate my day.
-Kenzi, grade 7
marketing dwoh
1. EVERYONE HAS TO KNOW DWOH IS
COMING FOR IT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
2. PLASTER YOUR SCHOOL WITH FLIERS A
WEEK BEFORE THE BIG DAY.
3. IF YOU’RE IN A CLUB THAT IS RUNNING
DWOH, MAKE IT MANDATORY FOR EVERYONE TO POST ABOUT DWOH ON THEIR
SOCIAL MEDIA FOR A FEW DAYS.
4. GO BIG OR GO HOME.
REMEMBER
WHEN
What if you collected the old 6th
class photos from all your elementary
schools and hung them in one area of
the high school? The idea is to remember a time when things felt much simpler. Schools that have done this have
told us of students spending the whole
day pouring over the photos to look at
everyone when they were little.
It really united the school.
“
WHAT WE MISS ABOUT ELEM SCHOOL
Seeing these
pictures of us when 1. RECESS.
2. HEADS UP, SEVEN UP.
we were young
3. CLASSROOM PARTIES AROUND THE
reminded me of when HOLIDAYS WITH AS MANY CUPCAKES AS
YOU COULD EAT.
we all got along.
4. “DO YOU LIKE SO-AND-SO? CHECK YES,
- Dan, grade 12
NO, OR MAYBE.”
5. HALLOWEEN COSTUME PARADES.
6. POPSICLES AT THE END OF FIELD DAY.
7. WE ALL PRETTY MUCH GOT ALONG.
peace
projects
As a DWOH committee, plan a project that allows your school to feel the
impact of DWOH. Past projects have
varied wildly. Some schools have made
a giant puzzle from cardboard and
butcher paper that was assembled during a schoolwide assembly. We’ve also
seen a gigantic Peace Train, a peace
mural on the side of a school, a Peace
Tree where each felt leaf represented
a different student in the school. Use
our ideas or create your own.
“
Assembling the THE BEST projects so far
Peace Puzzle in front 1. 900 SQUARE FOOT PEACE PUZZLE
SIGNED BY EVERY STUDENT FROM 9 DIFFERof the entire school
ENT SCHOOLS.
made me feel like I 2. PHOTO OF THE ENTIRE STUDENT BODY
THE SOCCER FIELD MAKING A GIANT
helped my school be ON
PEACE SIGN.
more peaceful.
3. 15 FOOT TALL TREE WITH A SIGNED LEAF
FROM EVERY STUDENT IN THE SCHOOL.
- Alex, grade 12
4. MILE LONG PAPERLINK CHAIN WITH MESSAGES OF PEACE AND HOPE.
RALLIES
Our world is flooded with too much violence, too
many candlelight vigils, and too many tears. As a
response to this, many schools and communities
around the nation have held Day Without Hate
Rallies on the evening of DWOH to cap off a great
day. These rallies help celebrate all that is right in
our schools. Here are four tips to make a rally successful in your community.
1. DECIDE ON YOUR AUDIENCE
A rally for high school students should feel different than a community rally for students, parents, and small children. Who do you want
to reach? We’ve seen both types of rallies find great success. Just
make sure you know your “consumer” before you go too far. You
want people to be excited to be there.
2. PLAN YOUR PROGRAM
Most rallies include a mixture of speeches, music, and interactive
elements for the audience. Local bands are often willing to donate
their time. We recommend starting off with the speeches and ending
with music. Make sure your performers understand the tone for the
event. This should be uplifting, positive, and motivational.
3. FIGURE OUT YOUR MARKETING
Don’t count on people just showing up because you think it’s a cool
idea. You’re going to have to advertise this big time. You’re going to
have to explain what the event is and why you’re doing it. Also, decide on a price point for entry. Most schools and communities make
it free with the purchase of a DWOH shirt.
4. CLARIFY YOUR MESSAGING
Day Without Hate stands for nonviolence, respect, and unity. Don’t
get so lost in planning your program and booking acts that you
forget about those core values. You want everyone who shows up to
return to their schools and communities on fire to spread the values
of Day Without Hate to everyone they see.