Unity Day

Welcome Page

Section One: Reframing the Narrative on Disability

Section Two: How to Include Students with Disabilities Year-Round

Section Three: Activities and Resources for Any Disability Celebration

Section Four: Four District-Recognized Disability/Inclusion Events and Ways to Celebrate

• Disability Awareness (Any Time)
• National Bullying Prevention Month and Unity Day (October)
• Inclusive Schools Week (First Week of December)
• Disability History Month (March)

Unity Day is the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month. On the third Wednesday of October, wear and share orange as a representation of the message that our society wants to prevent bullying and is united for kindness, acceptance and inclusion!

Why orange? Orange is a color commonly associated with October and the autumn season. More importantly, orange is also associated with safety and visibility and is an inviting, warm and vibrant color that makes an impactful statement.

Learn more by visiting PACER's Unity Day webpage.

Unity Tree

Plant a seed of "unity" at your school by a creating a Unity Tree.

It can be a powerful symbol reminding everyone that we can prevent bullying if we come together and unite for kindness, acceptance and inclusion. Each person shares their ideas and experiences by writing positive messages on leaves that are attached to the tree. Prompting questions are included.

Sesame Street Unity Video

Have a class discussion about unity inspired by the Sesame Street video featuring Grover and Gabrielle Union explaining that unity means coming together.

Carmen's Corner: Unity

In these two videos that are part of PACER's puppet series, Carmen and her friends discuss unity and ways that kids can work together to create a world without bullying. The videos have an accompanying educator guide and worksheets. (Designed for Kindergarten to Third Grade)

Leaving a Positive Footprint

Make individualized footprints to give students the opportunity to reflect on the steps they can take to create a world without bullying and leave a positive footprint. Students can create paper footprints or draw footprints with sidewalk chalk. Check out the video below.

Volunteer with Younger Students

Younger kids look up to teens, and Unity Day is a great day for high school leaders to engage with younger students. High schoolers can help with an art project or role play for younger kids how to accept and include others in different situations.

Interactive Unity Poster

Hang up a huge poster that says, "If you knew my story, you'd know that..." and give kids slips of paper to write (anonymously) about things that have happened in their lives to add to the poster. This exercise can help students understand that they are united by their successes and the struggles they face. An alternative prompt might be, 'To me, UNITY means..."

Unity Day Rally

Rallies are a great way to unite students schoolwide on an issue like bullying prevention. Student leaders, including those from affinity groups, should help plan the Unity Rally. The rally could feature a guest speaker or student-led activities on bullying prevention, kindness, acceptance, inclusion and how to be an ally.

Create a Video About What Unity Day Means

Have students contribute photos with signs and sayings about kindness, acceptance and inclusion or short videos of themselves talking about the meaning of Unity Day. Put them all together into a video that can be shared with the whole school and on social media.

Unity ROCKS!

• All students on campus are given the opportunity to paint a rock with messages of unity, kindness, acceptance and inclusion.
  

• Parent volunteers can arrange for donation or donate rocks, paint, brushes, paint pens, paper plates to hold the rocks while painting, plastic aprons/smocks (for younger students) and plastic bins to hold the rocks for each class after they are painted. Students should add their name and the year to the bottom of their rock.

Print out or share the photos below to give students ideas for their Unity ROCKS!

Add a Dedication Rock to your installation.

• The rocks need to dry and be weatherproofed before they can be installed outside in a garden or flower bed. After painting, spread out the rocks on tarps or plastic table cloths to dry. Be sure to keep the rocks grouped together by classroom. The paint must be completely dry before applying the shellac, or the paint will smear. Parent volunteers can apply the shellac. When completely dry, store the rocks in plastic bins, with one bin per class. This will make it easy for each student to find their rock for the installation event.
  

• Once the rocks are read to install, hold an assembly to celebrate. The principal or a guest speaker can talk about the importance of uniting to prevent bullying through kindness, acceptance and inclusion. After the assembly, students can add their rocks to the Unity installation!
  



Unity ROCKS! plus a Campus Tree = School Unity Tree




Place rocks at the base of a tree to create a living Unity Tree! Students can add rocks to the Unity Tree each year.

Unity Day Photos

Take group shots to share on social media of people wearing orange and promoting unity, kindness, acceptance and inclusion. One idea is to spell out a word, like Unity, with students and staff forming the letters. This is a fun and creative commUNITY-building activity. The photo above was taken in 2021 at Maple Elementary.

Unity Day Banners & Unity Day Themed Swag

Create a Unity Day banner or swag (like wristbands) to promote kindness, acceptance and inclusion at your school!

• Erin Bell, SEDAC Chair
  
• Jenny Crosby, Committee Chair, Newbury Park High School SEDAC Representative

• Lee Ann Holland, Committee Chair, SEDAC Member At Large, Colina Middle School SEDAC Representative
• Carole Shelton, SEDAC Member At Large
  

• Erin Bell, SEDAC Chair
  
• Jenny Crosby, Committee Chair, SEDAC Member At Large, Newbury Park High School SEDAC Representative

• Lee Ann Holland, Colina Middle School SEDAC Representative
• Nicole Johnson, Westlake Hills Elementary SEDAC Representative
• Shadi Khodavandloo, Newbury Park High School SEDAC Representative
• Trina Rodriguez, SEDAC Member At Large, Colina Middle School SEDAC Representative
• Carole Shelton, Rainbow Connection FEC & FRC