FOUR GEORGIA SCHOOLS AND PEACH STATE HEALTH PLAN PARTICIPATED IN NATIONAL NO ONE EATS ALONE DAY
Date: 02/20/20
A positive prevention initiative designed to promote inclusion among students was celebrated across four Georgia schools between Feb. 11th and Feb. 14th 2020 with the help of Peach State Health Plan. The schools included Radium Springs Middle School, Cirrus Academy, Hubert Middle School, and North Clayton Middle School.
Representatives from Peach State Health Plan hosted an assembly in honor of National No One Eats Alone® Day, created by the non-profit Beyond Differences™. More than 1400 students participated in activities designed to teach them about social isolation and the negative impact it can have on a student’s health and academic performance. The students then engaged in a simple act of kindness at lunch – making sure no one ate alone by sitting with students who they didn’t know. They were given ice breaker topics to spur conversations and highlight their commonalities.
Social isolation affects millions of students and has been identified as a precursor to bullying, self-harm and community violence. Students have shown that if they are given the appropriate tools, they will stand up for others as empathetic and caring activists, not passive bystanders.
“At Peach State Health Plan we’re committed to building and maintaining children’s health and well-being, and that includes providing them with resources to succeed in life,” said Pam Shipley, Interim Plan President and CEO, Peach State Health Plan. “We are proud to partner with Beyond Differences to celebrate No One Eats Alone Day, and bring light to social issues that affect students in Georgia.”
“Social isolation is a preventable public health problem,” says Laura Talmus, co-founder and executive director of Beyond Differences. “We’ve learned through teachers and families that No One Eats Alone Day is a powerful step and positive initiative that can change the culture in schools to be a more welcoming place for all.”
The four schools joined more than 2,500 schools across the country that celebrated National No One Eats Alone Day. The initiative reached more than 1 million students in all 50 states.
No One Eats Alone Day is sponsored by the Centene Charitable Foundation.