TAVARES — Lake County Schools is turning its campuses into “Fields of Kindness” this October as part of National Bullying Prevention Month, creating colorful reminders that kindness, acceptance and inclusion have a place in every school community.
In partnership with the MIKE Endowment, which presented the concept to the school district and provided funding for the project, 20 select schools will plant 200 colorful flags on each participating campus. The flags will represent bullying prevention, suicide awareness, and mental health awareness. The initiative, which also incorporates the student-led You Are Not Alone student ambassadors at those schools, builds on the district’s year-round commitment to providing safe, secure, and welcoming learning environments for every student.
Orange and blue flags will highlight bullying prevention. Students and staff are encouraged to #BlueUp and wear blue on Monday, October 5, to kick off National Bullying Prevention Month. On Wednesday, October 21, Lake County Schools will join communities nationwide in wearing orange for Unity Day, a day dedicated to showing support for students who experience bullying and promoting kindness, acceptance and inclusion.
Teal and purple flags will represent suicide awareness, while green flags will represent mental health awareness.
The “Fields of Kindness” will also allow students to add their own voices to the initiative. Using permanent markers, students will be invited to write messages of encouragement, support and tribute on the backs of the flags, creating a visible collection of positive messages from each school community.
Eustis Middle School students were joined by representatives from the MIKE Endowment on Thursday, October 1, as they planted flags on the campus and officially launched the school's Field of Kindness.
“The MIKE Endowment has been deeply committed to supporting mental health-related projects and programs across Lake County Schools for nearly 10 years,” said Joe Ziler, who started the MIKE Endowment in memory of his brother, Mike Ziler, to increase awareness of and support for mental health initiatives. “This is, by far, our most ambitious and public partnership – one which we hope to be able to continue to grow annually as we place a high degree of importance on showing our public school students and staff that they are seen, they matter, they are not alone, and that kindness towards each other can make a significant difference.”
“Every student deserves to walk onto a Lake County Schools campus knowing that they are seen, valued, and safe," Lake County Schools Superintendent Diane Kornegay said. "These Fields of Kindness give our students an opportunity to actively create a culture where those values are visible every day. We are grateful to the MIKE Endowment for helping us turn those important messages into something our students and entire school communities can see, share, and carry with them.”