1. Stick up for middle schoolers being bullied. It’s older students’ job to watch out for that stuff.
2. Work with teachers and students in your old middle school to start a GSA or general safe space!
3. Help your local middle school register for GLSEN’s No Name-Calling Week and together, show the world that you’re dedicated to celebrating kindness.
4. Be a visible ally! Tell all the middle schoolers you know that if anything ever comes up in school or if they have any questions about their experiences, you’re a supportive person they can talk to.
5. Get your GSA to work with a local middle school and organize a Celebrate Kindness workshop. Print out these awesome posters and talk to middle schoolers about what kindness means to them.
6. Ask for and offer your pronouns to younger peers. Let middle schoolers know it’s OK to choose for themselves which, if any, pronouns they want to be referred to by.
7. Be your awesome self!
8. Younger students need community, too! Host LGBT-inclusive events that cater to middle or elementary school students.
9. Check out the books listed on GLSEN’s No Name-Calling Week page and offer to read one to an elementary or middle school class.
10. Educate younger peers on why certain words shouldn’t be used as slurs. So what if someone’s gay? That shouldn’t be considered a bad word and shouldn’t be used to hurt anyone.
Bonus!
11. Use the hashtag #NNCW16 to share insights and resources for middle schoolers on social media.
Celebrate Kindness!
This post was written by GLSEN’s National Student Council.