Oxford Area High School Diversity Committee awarded ADL grant

The “Different but Equal” Diversity Committee at Oxford Area High School was recently awarded a $1,250 grant from the Southeastern Pennsylvania/Delaware Anti- Defamation League (ADL) to help support its activities during the 2010-11 school year. The grant was administered by the ADL following a donation from the Elaine & Bernard Beifield Family Foundation to the ADL’s “No Place for Hate” campaign, of which Oxford is a certified member school.

Carole Landis of Haverford, an ADL board member and trustee of the foundation named in honor of her parents, said the foundation supports nonprofit organizations that focus on service and education projects. She learned about the Different but Equal committee from Lisa Friedlander, the ADL chapter’s No Place for Hate project director, and was impressed by the group’s success in fostering greater awareness of diversity and tolerance among the student body.

Meeting to discuss upcoming activities of the “Different but Equal” Diversity Committee at Oxford Area High School are, front from left, Carole Landis, a member of the Board of Directors of the Southeastern Pennsylvania/Delaware Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and trustee of the Elaine & Bernard Beifield Family Foundation; Martha Viadana Davis, Spanish teacher and committee co-chair; and Lisa Friedlander, the ADL “No Place for Hate” project director; rear from left, Assistant Principal Jamie Canaday; guidance counselor and committee co-chair Keith Truver; and Principal Dr. David Madden. The Beifield Foundation and the ADL recently coordinated a $1,250 grant to help support the committee’s activities during the school year.

“Oxford Area High School is special in that the school community acknowledged the need for greater awareness of diversity and increased tolerance of those with differences, and had the courage to address the problem,” said Ms. Landis. “I’ve found that too many high schools will not deal with the issue and just say that everything’s OK."

Martha Viadana Davis, a Spanish teacher who co-chairs Different but Equal with guidance counselor Keith Truver, said the ADL grant will go toward materials to kick off the school’s No Place for Hate campaign in the new school year, and will help support the activities the committee has planned for the year. “We will have one or two speakers visit the high school to talk about tolerance, and we plan to have a Walk for Diversity that will involve all the Oxford schools as well as community members,” she said.

The committee also plans to sponsor an event called “Coming to the Table,” which will bring students of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds together for a catered lunch and guided conversation on topics related to diversity. Student workshops are also planned.

After beginning with 15 members, the Different but Equal committee has expanded to nearly 40, including students, teachers, administrators, parents and community members. “With the success of the committee at the high school, we hope to eventually see similar groups established at the middle school and elementary school levels as well,” said Mrs. Davis.