Representatives from University of North Florida institute One Jax led diversity education activities in Tom Hopkins’ upper school Life Management classes on December 9. The workshops were meaningful to all who participated, providing opportunities for students to open up about their own experiences and stereotypes.

Students convened outside in the Bolles Hall Stein Courtyard for the class event. Through games and conversation, OneJax leaders helped students learn that people are like ice-burgs: others only see what peers project on the surface and have little perspective on the bulk of someone’s experience that lies beneath. The program provided a forum for students to share more about their unique characteristics, experiences and strengths as well as their challenges, weaknesses and concerns.

OneJax has presented their diversity education class to more than 15,000 students in Northeast Florida. The 0-minute program creates a safe environment for students to have an atmosphere "to engage in the topics of bias, bigotry and stereotypes along with their effects, discrimination, racism and bullying. The class focuses on building cultural competency with an interactive and open dialogue approach,” program material read.

Hopkins said the program would be beneficial to any group of students and said his students took much away from the experience.