Students Take "Time In" This Summer To Fight Hate

New York, NY, Local high school students are taking ‘time in’ this summer to challenge discrimination, fight against hate, and preserve civil rights, as part of the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute Summer Internship Program.

The students hail from throughout the New York area and represent a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds and religions. All are student leaders and Peer Trainers in their schools.

About the Participants

Five are from the Bronx, attending Peace and Diversity Academy and Validus Preparatory Academy; four are from Brooklyn, attending Midwood High School, Brooklyn International High School and Cobble Hill School of American Studies; two are from Long Island, attending New Hyde Park Memorial High School and Roslyn High School; one is from Manhattan, attending Lower Manhattan Arts Academy; one is from Queens, attending Martin Van Buren High School; one is from Staten Island, attending Susan E. Wagner High School; and one is from Rockland County, attending Clarkstown North High School.

A second-year student at Brooklyn Law School, who was also a former ADL Peer Trainer and summer intern, is working at the League this summer as a legal intern.

The students were selected from a large pool of participants in the League’s Peer Training Program – an initiative that empowers students to work with their peers in standing up to hatred, prejudice and bigotry.

“These extraordinary students are determined to have an impact on the world around them,” said Jeffrey Parker, Chair of ADL’s New York Regional Board. “As student Peer Trainers, they demonstrated strong leadership qualities and a comfort level dealing with sensitive issues. With the valuable experience gained this summer, they will be better equipped to make a positive difference that resonates far beyond the school walls.”

For seven weeks, the interns take on various responsibilities throughout ADL. Once a week, they attend career building workshops and leadership seminars. In the fall, interns join other teens from around the country in our nation’s capital to share their experiences as peer leaders. In Washington, D.C. they attend a seminar at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum where they learn to apply the lessons of the Holocaust to today’s issues of prejudice and hate.

A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute Peer Trainers take action against prejudice by leading workshops and interactive classroom presentations, and facilitating discussions with their peers about the issues that concern them. Their efforts play a key role in creating schools, communities and organizations where differences are valued and respected.

Now in its 18^th year, the New York Regional Office Summer Internship Program is made possible by the New York A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute Task Force. Cynthia and George Marks have been funding the program since its inception in 1992.

To interview the interns from your region, contact ADL Media Relations at 212-885-7749 or adlmedia@adl.org. Intern bios available on request.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.