Campaign to Stem
Societal Violence

Sample Week of Programs

MONDAY -- Kickoff Day

1. Kickoff Assembly
   • Keynote Speaker -- Seek out a speaker to give a presentation on how violence has no place in your school, and/or how to unite the campus in peace and harmony.
   • Postsecondary Partnership -- If working in conjunction with local postsecondary institution, invite college students to participate in the kickoff. Depending on how you decide to run your program, this could be the beginning of mentoring partnerships, the college students could work with your students throughout the week to develop skits addressing violence issues, etc. Be creative!
2. Take the Pledge -- After the speaker, encourage students to take a public stance against violence by signing a pledge. This could be a time of celebration, offering free t-shirts, cookies, or any other items that can be purchased or obtained through community support.

TUESDAY -- Take the Pledge Day

Take the Pledge Day offers to recruit and market for the week, as well as providing students with additional opportunities to take the pledge. Tables could be stationed where students could access during lunch or other appropriate break times. Additionally, teachers could be encouraged to devote a few minutes at the beginning of a given class period for the purpose of distributing the pledge to students and talking about school anti-violence efforts.

Consider making promotional item available to those who agree to the principles of the campaign and sign the pledge. Promotional items could take the form of t-shirts, baseball caps, travel mugs, canvas bags, etc. Financial sponsorship from community partners could be obtained for such items, in exchange for their logo being printed directly on the promo item (back of t-shirt, hat). Company logos could appear on the marketing posters to advertise for Enough is Enough Week, or separate cards could be handed out as "discount cards" with the corporate sponsorship printed on the card.

Finally, another way for the community to get involved with the marketing of the campaign is to partner with local eateries and restaurants and ask for donations of pizza, sub party platters, or other on-the-go food items for a special lunch day. This could be a great initiative to attract additional pledges from all participating students.

WEDNESDAY -- Unity Day

1. These Hands Don't Hurt -- Unite the school with a colorful display of support. Have a large white banner and several different colors of paint for students to leave their handprint as a visible pledge to their commitment to being peaceful members of the campus community and the world.
   
2. Home is Where the Court is: Dedicate a home athletics game or other school event to rally and unify the school and show off their school spirit. Ask those in attendance to wear the same color, further unifying the initiative and stance against violence. Be sure to have information available for community attendees.

THURSDAY -- Take Action Day

1. Poster campaign/gallery showing -- Provide students with poster board and allow them to create visual displays with an anti-violence message. Additionally, students could be encouraged to go beyond poster board and create their own anti-violence message using the media of their choice. These expressions could, of course, be pre-screened for appropriate content and materials.
    
   An alternative idea is to ask students to create posters (after school, during lunch time, or in the classroom) or other visual media that represent school unity and peace. Arrange for pieces to be on display in a prominent display area.
   
   
2. Start a dialogue on violence -- Encourage students to think about the societal ramifications of violence in the media, and how we can combat these pro-violence messages. Such discussions could be incorporated into courses such as civics, history, social studies, English, etc. Also consider using your school media to include appropriate segments and invited student feedback.

FRIDAY -- Beats of Peace Day

Host an "EarPeace" or "CommUnity" concert. Ask the school's Drama and Music Departments to collaborate in a program that brings people together around positive and upbeat music in order to foster a sense of peace and unity. This event could take on many forms, including big-name acts, student bands, or aspiring singer-songwriters within the campus community. If you had students working on skits / dramatic pieces throughout the week, these could also be presented as part of this celebratory assembly to wrap up the week.

SATURDAY/SUNDAY -- Campus Cares Days

Another way to get the school active and involved in a positive way is to make available coordinated volunteer and service events in which members of the school give back to the larger community. Various project sites in the community would be pre-identified, and groups of volunteers would sign up for the various sites. For an even greater anti-violence effect, these project sites could be specifically chosen with an anti-violence theme in mind.