August 29, 2024 • 12 mins
We spoke with Michelle Pincince, Connecticut Education Director, East Division, of the Connecticut Anti-Defamation League (ADL), about how the ADL's No Place For Hate Program combats bullying, bias, and prejudice through educational programming.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm Alison Demerz. Thank you for listening to Community Access.
My guest today is Michelle Pinsons, the Connecticut Education director
of the East Division from the Anti Defamation League. Welcome,
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
I'm happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
I'm so happy you could be here. We're going to
talk about No Place for Hate. It's an anti bias
and bullying prevention education.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Yes. Absolutely, No Place for Hate is one of ADL's
premier education initiatives. It's nationwide for K to twelve schools,
and we're really excited to have it here in Connecticut.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Why the need for it?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Oh, as we know, bullying is an issue in schools
and isms are on the rise. Anti Semitism is on
the rise. We're seeing a rise and racist bullying and
graffiti and things like that. So it's very necessary hate
is learned and through education, we can help students do better,
(01:00):
can help them to learn to overcome stereotypes and build respect.
So it's important.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
So there's a four phase approach, if I understand correctly.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Yeah, yeah, So a school that wants to do No
Place for Hate will register with ADL. They'll form a
committee of staff and students, and we really want students
to take the lead and make it their own. Then
they will put forward the No Place for Hate Pledge,
as well as launching three different anti bias activities throughout
(01:32):
the course of the school year. The reason I think
it works is because it's up to the school to
pick activities that really fit their community, So whatever issues
are coming up for them, that's where they can gear
their activities towards. And I also think because students are
behind it. Having students talk to their peers about why
this is important to them, it just makes such a difference.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Tell me about the pledge. What does it entail?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
It says you know that I pledge to make my
school no Place for hate. Basically, it's about standing up
against bullying when you see it. You're going to be
an ally rather than a bystander. It's about watching your
words and understanding that our words and our actions matter
and have an impact. A key concept we talk a
(02:18):
lot in No Place for Hate schools is intent versus impact,
and so while your intent is important, we need to
be responsible for our impact. So even if what you
said was a joke, you're responsible. Important for students to
understand that words do matter and they have an impact.
And so, like I said, anti Semitism is on the rise.
(02:39):
So we're doing programs to help educate staff and students
about what is anti Semitism, who are the Jewish people?
And what are these stereotypes that I'm learning about them.
We're seeing a significant rise in targeting, so it's important
to teach the counter information to these stereotypes of people
are ingesting.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Then children with disabilities, yeah, have been bullied.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Absolutely, It runs the gamut. Any aspect of difference is
is something that folks will target, and it's important to
keep in mind. I think that the perpetrators of bullying
are also oftentimes hurting. Sometimes they do it as a
result of having been bullied to themselves. Sometimes there's instances
(03:24):
in the home that are caught leading to the bullying behavior.
So we try and to remember that it's important to
support the targets, but we need to work to build
empathy in the perpetrators.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Very interesting, yes, because hurt people hurt people.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Absolutely, and that all the time.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Yeah, And a lot of people don't even know that
it isn't okay or politically correct to say certain words.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Right right, absolutely, Sometimes you know a student truly was
just ignorant of the information and didn't understand that they
were causing harm. So it's not about being punitive, it's
about being educational and it's about doing better next time.
But you still have to take responsibility for the harm
that you cause, so an apology. So maybe you become
(04:10):
a part of the No Place for Hate team and
do education so others won't make the same mistakes you did.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
We come from kind of an archie bunker era Don
Rickles where anything went. And my children who are grown now,
they're like, you can't say that. May that's not nice.
And I'm like, but my heart is good. That's not
how I mean it. They're like, but it's not okay.
So it's a whole different world now how we approach
things and speak to people.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Yeah. Absolutely, and it's it's important that you that you
mentioned about but I'm a good person. It's not about
not being a good person. It's about new understanding and
understanding how the words have impact so we can so
we can do better. That's why a lot of our
education activities that students will do are about issues of identity,
(04:57):
so they can understand people's different identities and start to
learn about different cultures so that they know better and
then they can do better.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
What entails the professional learning of teachers.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
So it's important that the teachers are able to support
this process. You can't create a welcome in an inclusive
school without everyone, So we provide educational programs for teachers
as well to support their learning. We have curriculum guides
and also free lessons on our website that teachers can
use in the classroom to address issues of differences and
(05:31):
bullying and many at No Place for Hate schools will
use those lessons as they're no place for hate activities.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
That's wonderful. Tell me about Books Matter for children? What
is that about?
Speaker 2 (05:43):
That is an excellent resource. So definitely if you go
to ADL dot org check into Books Matter. It's a
wonderful resource of diverse books about a range of topics
for children to help start that education in learning young.
So we've had quite again quite a few districts that
maybe they'll do one book one school and use a
(06:04):
nice text to again help to educate and build that empathy.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
How does the acronym piece play into No Place for Hate?
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Oh you really investigated, Thank you so much. Yeah, piece
is about our way for responding to incidents of bias
or bullying in schools. We have a great resource guide
for schools on how to respond to incidents of bias
and if you experience an incident of bias anyone who's listening,
you can report it at ADL dot org and will
(06:34):
help with responding. But our peace process is what we
teach schools to use to respond when incidents happen. So
you need to do some investigating, you need to make
sure that you're supporting targets, you need that you're responding
to the perpetrators. It's about providing education for the whole
school and also making it a community wide process of healing.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
How should schools respond to an incident when it happens.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Well, unfortunately, sometimes we find that there are lumpy carpets.
We try and push things under the rug and then
that just trips us all up right, So if it's
important to acknowledge it and name it. So many times
we encourage schools if it's a big incident that you
know the school's known throughout the school, make sure you
(07:24):
message the parents, let them know what happened. And if
it's a racist incident, call it a racist incident, not
just an unfortunate incident happens, which leaves everyone kind of
wondering what was it? Should I be worried? Should I
be in fear? So it's about clear communication. It's about
educating the school community. So even though the incident may
(07:45):
be a swastika in a bathroom, it's not just about
erasing that. It's about educating the community about what a
swastika means and the impact that it has and getting
the students and staff to understand that. So we really
encourage a lot of education, holding folks accountable. And sometimes
(08:06):
schools can be so focused on finding the perpetrator that
they forget about supporting the target. So it's more about
the punitive and punishment. And we've we've caught the culprit,
but we forgot to check in on the family that's hurting.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
And again it's important to check in on the family
that's hurting. But also, as we said earlier, hurt people
hurt people, So the perpetrator, what's going on there? Yes,
that they're behaving the way they are exactly. They always
say children are a reflection of their parents, but not
all the time, because my kids can be fresh as
could be and has nothing to do with me. Excuse me.
(08:44):
You could be the best parents in the world and
have some rotten kids, But how are parents involved in
all of this?
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Yeah? So, No Place for Hate encourages schools to bring
on the committee not only students and staff, but also parents.
And I find that in the community is where they're
able to do that. The parents really appreciate the opportunity
to be connected to the efforts in the school and
have a voice. And the No Place for Hate pledge
is often sent to parents in the community of the
(09:13):
school so that they can see what their students are signing,
and they can even sign on.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
What kind of response have you seen from parents regarding
this program?
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Ah, they're always excited to get it in the school.
It's interesting. Sometimes the interest for a school or a
school district comes first from the parents. They might contact
our office and ask for information that they can send
on or ask us to reach out directly to the administrators. So, yeah,
they get excited when they know that this good work
is happening in their schools and.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
What kind of impact has it had on the students,
those who've been targeted and those who haven't been You.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Know, it's great because it can give students a voice.
I actually had a high school student intern this summer
who worked with a No Place for Hate school, and
she said, no Place for Hate is more than just
the insides of a school building walls. It's special because
(10:09):
it gives a space for students to be heard, respected,
and seen. And she talked to me about feeling invisible
in her school as an Asian student and stereotyped, and
that being a part of the No Place for Hate
committee gave her a chance to have a voice and
to be involved in the change in the school. One school, actually,
(10:32):
this is a great story. One school in Connecticut, Isaac's School,
a great charter school in New London, Connecticut, told me
that they're No Place for Hate initiative is really taking
hold of the school community. And one of the coordinators
overheard some students sort of teasing each other. It wasn't
(10:52):
quite crossing the line, but maybe a little and one
of the kids says, hey, don't you know this is
a No Place for Hate school? Now? They might I've
been teasing a little bit in that remark, but it
was a great sign that it's permeating their consciousness and
the teasing in that moment stopped.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
That's a beautiful thing. You're changing the world.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
That's why I've been at ADL for twenty eight years.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Wow, what a blessing. And they're lucky to have you
so literally glow.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Yeah, every day I get to feel like I make
a difference in the world.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Well, it just makes my heart smile that children are
feeling good about themselves and that they understand why people
do what they do. It's amazing. Really, I want to
thank you. Michelle Pinsones, Connecticut Education director of the East
Division at the Anti Defamation League. We're talking about no
place for hate and anti bias and bullying prevention education.
(11:47):
If you'd like to become involved again, go to ADL
dot org. Thank you so much for all you do
to serve the community and to love on our children.
What's better than that?
Speaker 2 (11:58):
It truly is a gift. M
I'm Alison Demerz. Thank you for listening to Community Access.
My guest today is Michelle Pinsons, the Connecticut Education director
of the East Division from the Anti Defamation League. Welcome,
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
I'm happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
I'm so happy you could be here. We're going to
talk about No Place for Hate. It's an anti bias
and bullying prevention education.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Yes. Absolutely, No Place for Hate is one of ADL's
premier education initiatives. It's nationwide for K to twelve schools,
and we're really excited to have it here in Connecticut.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Why the need for it?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Oh, as we know, bullying is an issue in schools
and isms are on the rise. Anti Semitism is on
the rise. We're seeing a rise and racist bullying and
graffiti and things like that. So it's very necessary hate
is learned and through education, we can help students do better,
(01:00):
can help them to learn to overcome stereotypes and build respect.
So it's important.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
So there's a four phase approach, if I understand correctly.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Yeah, yeah, So a school that wants to do No
Place for Hate will register with ADL. They'll form a
committee of staff and students, and we really want students
to take the lead and make it their own. Then
they will put forward the No Place for Hate Pledge,
as well as launching three different anti bias activities throughout
(01:32):
the course of the school year. The reason I think
it works is because it's up to the school to
pick activities that really fit their community, So whatever issues
are coming up for them, that's where they can gear
their activities towards. And I also think because students are
behind it. Having students talk to their peers about why
this is important to them, it just makes such a difference.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Tell me about the pledge. What does it entail?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
It says you know that I pledge to make my
school no Place for hate. Basically, it's about standing up
against bullying when you see it. You're going to be
an ally rather than a bystander. It's about watching your
words and understanding that our words and our actions matter
and have an impact. A key concept we talk a
(02:18):
lot in No Place for Hate schools is intent versus impact,
and so while your intent is important, we need to
be responsible for our impact. So even if what you
said was a joke, you're responsible. Important for students to
understand that words do matter and they have an impact.
And so, like I said, anti Semitism is on the rise.
(02:39):
So we're doing programs to help educate staff and students
about what is anti Semitism, who are the Jewish people?
And what are these stereotypes that I'm learning about them.
We're seeing a significant rise in targeting, so it's important
to teach the counter information to these stereotypes of people
are ingesting.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Then children with disabilities, yeah, have been bullied.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Absolutely, It runs the gamut. Any aspect of difference is
is something that folks will target, and it's important to
keep in mind. I think that the perpetrators of bullying
are also oftentimes hurting. Sometimes they do it as a
result of having been bullied to themselves. Sometimes there's instances
(03:24):
in the home that are caught leading to the bullying behavior.
So we try and to remember that it's important to
support the targets, but we need to work to build
empathy in the perpetrators.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Very interesting, yes, because hurt people hurt people.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Absolutely, and that all the time.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Yeah, And a lot of people don't even know that
it isn't okay or politically correct to say certain words.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Right right, absolutely, Sometimes you know a student truly was
just ignorant of the information and didn't understand that they
were causing harm. So it's not about being punitive, it's
about being educational and it's about doing better next time.
But you still have to take responsibility for the harm
that you cause, so an apology. So maybe you become
(04:10):
a part of the No Place for Hate team and
do education so others won't make the same mistakes you did.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
We come from kind of an archie bunker era Don
Rickles where anything went. And my children who are grown now,
they're like, you can't say that. May that's not nice.
And I'm like, but my heart is good. That's not
how I mean it. They're like, but it's not okay.
So it's a whole different world now how we approach
things and speak to people.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Yeah. Absolutely, and it's it's important that you that you
mentioned about but I'm a good person. It's not about
not being a good person. It's about new understanding and
understanding how the words have impact so we can so
we can do better. That's why a lot of our
education activities that students will do are about issues of identity,
(04:57):
so they can understand people's different identities and start to
learn about different cultures so that they know better and
then they can do better.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
What entails the professional learning of teachers.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
So it's important that the teachers are able to support
this process. You can't create a welcome in an inclusive
school without everyone, So we provide educational programs for teachers
as well to support their learning. We have curriculum guides
and also free lessons on our website that teachers can
use in the classroom to address issues of differences and
(05:31):
bullying and many at No Place for Hate schools will
use those lessons as they're no place for hate activities.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
That's wonderful. Tell me about Books Matter for children? What
is that about?
Speaker 2 (05:43):
That is an excellent resource. So definitely if you go
to ADL dot org check into Books Matter. It's a
wonderful resource of diverse books about a range of topics
for children to help start that education in learning young.
So we've had quite again quite a few districts that
maybe they'll do one book one school and use a
(06:04):
nice text to again help to educate and build that empathy.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
How does the acronym piece play into No Place for Hate?
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Oh you really investigated, Thank you so much. Yeah, piece
is about our way for responding to incidents of bias
or bullying in schools. We have a great resource guide
for schools on how to respond to incidents of bias
and if you experience an incident of bias anyone who's listening,
you can report it at ADL dot org and will
(06:34):
help with responding. But our peace process is what we
teach schools to use to respond when incidents happen. So
you need to do some investigating, you need to make
sure that you're supporting targets, you need that you're responding
to the perpetrators. It's about providing education for the whole
school and also making it a community wide process of healing.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
How should schools respond to an incident when it happens.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Well, unfortunately, sometimes we find that there are lumpy carpets.
We try and push things under the rug and then
that just trips us all up right, So if it's
important to acknowledge it and name it. So many times
we encourage schools if it's a big incident that you
know the school's known throughout the school, make sure you
(07:24):
message the parents, let them know what happened. And if
it's a racist incident, call it a racist incident, not
just an unfortunate incident happens, which leaves everyone kind of
wondering what was it? Should I be worried? Should I
be in fear? So it's about clear communication. It's about
educating the school community. So even though the incident may
(07:45):
be a swastika in a bathroom, it's not just about
erasing that. It's about educating the community about what a
swastika means and the impact that it has and getting
the students and staff to understand that. So we really
encourage a lot of education, holding folks accountable. And sometimes
(08:06):
schools can be so focused on finding the perpetrator that
they forget about supporting the target. So it's more about
the punitive and punishment. And we've we've caught the culprit,
but we forgot to check in on the family that's hurting.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
And again it's important to check in on the family
that's hurting. But also, as we said earlier, hurt people
hurt people, So the perpetrator, what's going on there? Yes,
that they're behaving the way they are exactly. They always
say children are a reflection of their parents, but not
all the time, because my kids can be fresh as
could be and has nothing to do with me. Excuse me.
(08:44):
You could be the best parents in the world and
have some rotten kids, But how are parents involved in
all of this?
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Yeah? So, No Place for Hate encourages schools to bring
on the committee not only students and staff, but also parents.
And I find that in the community is where they're
able to do that. The parents really appreciate the opportunity
to be connected to the efforts in the school and
have a voice. And the No Place for Hate pledge
is often sent to parents in the community of the
(09:13):
school so that they can see what their students are signing,
and they can even sign on.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
What kind of response have you seen from parents regarding
this program?
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Ah, they're always excited to get it in the school.
It's interesting. Sometimes the interest for a school or a
school district comes first from the parents. They might contact
our office and ask for information that they can send
on or ask us to reach out directly to the administrators. So, yeah,
they get excited when they know that this good work
is happening in their schools and.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
What kind of impact has it had on the students,
those who've been targeted and those who haven't been You.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Know, it's great because it can give students a voice.
I actually had a high school student intern this summer
who worked with a No Place for Hate school, and
she said, no Place for Hate is more than just
the insides of a school building walls. It's special because
(10:09):
it gives a space for students to be heard, respected,
and seen. And she talked to me about feeling invisible
in her school as an Asian student and stereotyped, and
that being a part of the No Place for Hate
committee gave her a chance to have a voice and
to be involved in the change in the school. One school, actually,
(10:32):
this is a great story. One school in Connecticut, Isaac's School,
a great charter school in New London, Connecticut, told me
that they're No Place for Hate initiative is really taking
hold of the school community. And one of the coordinators
overheard some students sort of teasing each other. It wasn't
(10:52):
quite crossing the line, but maybe a little and one
of the kids says, hey, don't you know this is
a No Place for Hate school? Now? They might I've
been teasing a little bit in that remark, but it
was a great sign that it's permeating their consciousness and
the teasing in that moment stopped.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
That's a beautiful thing. You're changing the world.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
That's why I've been at ADL for twenty eight years.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Wow, what a blessing. And they're lucky to have you
so literally glow.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Yeah, every day I get to feel like I make
a difference in the world.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Well, it just makes my heart smile that children are
feeling good about themselves and that they understand why people
do what they do. It's amazing. Really, I want to
thank you. Michelle Pinsones, Connecticut Education director of the East
Division at the Anti Defamation League. We're talking about no
place for hate and anti bias and bullying prevention education.
(11:47):
If you'd like to become involved again, go to ADL
dot org. Thank you so much for all you do
to serve the community and to love on our children.
What's better than that?
Speaker 2 (11:58):
It truly is a gift. M
Popular Podcasts
1. Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
2. Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
3. Crime Junkie
If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people.