Shrewsbury – Students Together Opposing Prejudice (S.T.O.P.), an interfaith initiative teaching teens how to confront stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination, will start its annual program Thursday, Jan. 9.
The program is a six-week curriculum, targeted to middle school students. The group meets for six sessions Thursday evenings from Jan. 9 to Feb. 13, from 7 to 8:45 p.m. with no session during February school vacation week. The sessions take place in the participating houses of worship.
The goals of the S.T.O.P. program are to heighten participants’ awareness about issues of prejudice and discrimination and to give students strategies to confront them. Through short teachings at the start of each session, students learn about the similarities and differences among the faith traditions. The participants appreciate that cultural, racial, and religious tolerance comes about through recognition of the value of every individual and the celebration of every person's uniqueness. They also learn that communities are enriched by diversity.
The sessions are made up of a variety of activities including skits, videos, games, and small group discussions, many led by S.T.O.P graduates. Participants do not have to belong to a religion or live in Shrewsbury. The program is free. To register or for more information, contact Chris Senie at [email protected] or 508-330-6640.
