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(BAR ASSOCIATION) CALLS ON LAWYERS TO TEACH CHILDREN ABOUT DIVERSITY AND DEMOCRACY

(CITY), (DATE), 2003 -The (BAR ASSOCIATION) is calling on lawyers to support democracy and diversity by helping promote respect among America's youngest citizens. The (BAR ASSOCIATION) is seeking volunteer lawyers to participate in a tolerance education initiative that sends lawyers into the classroom to teach students about diversity and tolerance.

The "Tolerance Through Education" initiative, created by the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, will be launched in a series of three programs for students. The first program, "Welcome to School: Helping Kids Belong," is a written curriculum designed to help lawyers engage third graders in conversations and activities about respect and belonging. An 18-minute video featuring children demonstrating these values, and a CD of "The Child in Me," a song written for the program, are included with the curriculum.

Third graders were selected for this program because, according to psychologists, this is the age when children begin to develop the norms that affect the formation of their lifelong values and beliefs, and when they may begin to bully and tease classmates who look or act differently.

The second program, "Playing Together for Peace," consists of role-playing and group discussions designed for lawyers to teach elementary school students how to resolve conflicts peacefully. The goal is to help children be more accepting of differences based on race, gender, economic status, religion and sexual orientation.

In the third program lawyers will engage in outreach to junior and senior high school students to discuss hate crimes - what they are, their consequences, and how to prevent them. Lawyers also will teach students about the legal issues related to hate crimes.

Lawyers interested in implementing the programs in their community's schools can contact (NAME) at (PHONE) or (E-MAIL ADDRESS). Additional information is available at (WEB SITE).

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The American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership association in the world. With more than 400,000 members, the ABA provides law school accreditation, continuing legal education, information about the law and a wide range of services to help lawyers and judges in their work.