High Point STUDENT Human Relations Commission (HP S HRC)

1. We are one community! High Point STUDENT Human Relations Commission(HPSHRC) City of High Point Human Relations

2. Introduction to High Point Human Relations (HPHR) Department Commission • Fair Housing & Equal Employment Advancement • Multiculturalism & Diversity Training • Civic Engagement Programming • Facilitate HPHRC & HPSHRC • 3 Staff Members • 16 Members • Executive Committee • Fair Housing Committee • Program Committee • Education Committee

3. Introduction to the High Point Student Human Relations Commission (HPSHRC) • HPSHRC was established in the fall of 2004. • The student commission is comprised of 8 schools(public & private) serving High Point. There are 80 student Commissioners. The schools represented are : Academy at Central, GTCC Middle College of Entertainment, High Point Central, Penn-Griffin School for the Arts, Southern Guilford, Southwest, T. Wingate Andrews, and Westchester Country Day. • After a brief history, the following slides illustrate our human relations model, core application, process, responsibilities of the student commissioners, and HPSHRC etiquette.

4. Human Relations Model Public Involvement Civic Engagement Multicultural Literacy Social Justice Dispute Resolution Race Experience Servant-Leadership

5. CORE APPLICATION Students learn the concepts of human/civil rights through the use of collaborative learning groups, deliberative dialogue, role play, and reflective exercises which are student centered and led.

6. PROCESS Facilitated by the High Point Human Relations Department and supported by the High Point Human Relations Commission, the HPSHRC is funded by the City of High Point & Guilford County Schools. As the sponsoring body, we and our partners provide our student commissioners with the tools & skills they need to implement and sustain human relations clubs/commissions at their respective schools. The student commission is comprised of 8 schools (public & private) serving High Point. There are 70 student Commissioners. The schools represented are : Academy at Central, GTCC Middle College of Entertainment, High Point Central, Penn-Griffin School for the Arts, Southern Guilford, Southwest, T. Wingate Andrews, and Westchester Country Day School. High Point City Council Guilford County Board of Education Guilford County Schools YWCA of High Point Carl Chavis YMCA High Point Housing Authority DOJ Civil Rights Division Guilford County Association of Educators (GCAE) National Conference for Community & Justice (NCCJ) High Point Community Development & Housing High Point Theatre High Point Library High Point Alliance for Workforce Preparedness NC Human Relations Commission High Point/Thomasville American Red Cross Latino Family Center GSAFE High Point Workforce Alliance High Point Youth Ministers Network Each site-based commission has 15 to 50 students. (subject to the size of the student body)

7. HPSHRCEtiquette • Student Commissioners Always: • Respect the beliefs, practices, and perspectives of others • Practice active listening • Support servant-leadership • Engage in peaceful resolutions to issues • Lift-up our community • Build awareness by educating our community to not discriminate against anyone based on color, religion, • race, age, familial status, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender or gender expression. • When student commissioners are in public meetings and we need everyone to focus or to be respectful • of the speaker on the floor we have two calls and responses we can use:

8. HPSHRC Responsibilities • Attend the student retreat • Attend HPSHRC meetings • Organize and run a site-based human relations commission for their school • Send representatives to the HPHRC meetings • Participate in designated community events; MLK Celebration, 30-hr Famine, etc. • Plan & lead High Point Student Human Relations Day

9. Site-Based HR Commissions/Clubs • Be aware of human relations issues in their school • Lead programming to sustain positive human relations • Manage crisis detrimental to positive human relations • Resolve conflict using mediation & deliberative discourse • Partner with student council, other clubs, & community groups for programming

10. The first program of the school year sponsored by the student commissioners school-based human relations clubs is National Mix-It Up Day observed every November. Student commissioners do this program annually at their schools. For more information please visit: http://www.tolerance.org/mix-it-up/lunch-day Keep in mind that the whole point of Mix-It Up Day is to get students to break out of their cliques and broaden their base of friends. Most importantly, it helps them to dismiss stereotypes and eradicate hate, bias, bigotry, and racism.

11. Thank you!!! Al Heggins, City of High Point Human Relations Director 211 S. Hamilton Street, Suite 207 / High Point, NC / 27261 336.883-3124 – Office 336.822.4777 – Fax 336.883.8517 – TDD al.heggins@highpointnc.gov