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LOUISIANA HEALTHCARE CONNECTIONS BRINGS NO ONE EATS ALONE DAY TO OAK PARK ELEMENTARY

Date: 02/20/20

The 5th grade students at Oak Park Elementary participated in National No One Eats Alone Day on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020. No One Eats Alone Day is a national initiative that promotes social inclusion and educates students about the negative impact of bullying.

A positive prevention initiative designed to promote inclusion in middle schools was celebrated at Oak Park Elementary in Lake Charles on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020.

Representatives from Louisiana Healthcare Connections hosted an assembly in honor of National No One Eats Alone® Day, created by the non-profit Beyond Differences™. 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. They then demonstrated inclusion and sat with students at lunch who they don’t know, or who may feel left out. They were given ice breaker topics to discuss to 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 tools, they will stand up for others as empathetic and caring activists, not passive bystanders.

“This is our fourth year to bring the No One Eats Alone program to youth in Louisiana, and our third year to celebrate it with the students of Oak Park Elementary. The students enjoy engaging with us about social isolation, and we are always touched by their insights and feedback about the negative effects of bullying,” says Chelsea Graves, Community Relations Principal for Louisiana Healthcare Connections. “We are very appreciative of Oak Park Elementary for serving as our partner school and helping us take these preventive steps to bullying and isolation.”

“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.”

Oak Park Elementary was among more than 2,500 schools across the country that celebrated National No One Eats Alone Day. The initiative reached more than one million students in all 50 states.