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Lesson Plan

Mix It Up at Lunch Day

Mix It Up at Lunch Day is an international campaign by Learning for Justice that encourages students to identify, question and cross social boundaries.
A young student moves through a school lunch line, placing a container of sweet potatoes on his lunch tray.
Published: June 2023

Schools can host a Mix It Up event on any day of the year! Students consistently identify the cafeteria as a place in their school where divisions are clearly—and harshly—drawn. So we ask students to move out of their comfort zones and connect with someone new over lunch. It’s a simple act with profound implications that we encourage educators to include in year-round efforts to promote healthy, welcoming school environments. Studies have shown that interactions across group lines can help reduce prejudice. When students interact with those who are different from them, biases and misperceptions can fall away.

While pulling off a successful Mix It Up event takes a good deal of coordination, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel! We’ve pulled together the best practices, approaches and planning details so you don’t have to. All the resources are here to start this student-led program in your school.

Link to Lesson

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OEA provides high-quality, member-led professional learning to help educators improve their professional practice, support student success and excellence, and build community with other educators across Oregon.
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The Oregon Education Association (OEA) is a union committed to the cause of providing the basic right of great public education to every student. OEA represents about 41,000 educators working in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 public schools and community colleges. OEA’s membership includes licensed teachers and specialists, classified/education support professionals (ESPs), community college faculty, retired educators, and student members. OEA members also belong to the 3.2 million members of the National Education Association (NEA).