Students thrive - socially and academically - in schools that are inclusive. Yet, for far too many students, schools are hotbeds of exclusion. The "popular" kids and the "not-so-popular kids." The child who always plays alone on the playground.

Differences often define a school's hierarchy. Among the common boundaries identified by teachers and students: appearance, athletic or academic performance, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status and English language skills.

Today's schools are more diverse than ever before, and social scientists have long known the contact between diverse groups helps alleviate tensions and reduce prejudice. So why do social boundaries persist?

Students often choose to hang out only with people who they believe share experiences, interests or backgrounds that can help them define and better understand themselves. Such divisions can make it hard for different student groups to understand each other and can lead to challenges and difficulties in school communities.

Mix It Up seeks to break down the barriers between students, improve intergroup relations and help schools create inclusive communities where there are fewer misunderstandings that can lead to conflicts, bullying or violence. Mix It Up provides tools, resources and ideas to help youth and their adult allies take action, including:

• An annual impetus for action: Mix It Up at Lunch Day
• Thematic monthly units that include discussion and writing prompts, as well as activity booklets for ongoing use: Activities
• Funding for boundary-crossing student activist projects: Mix It Up Grants

Mix It Up is a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center's Teaching Tolerance program.