CONFIDENTIAL AND EMBARGOED UNTIL Tuesday, March 6, 2018 at 6 AM EST Contact: Tiffanie Harrison, Laurie Molis [email protected], [email protected] 512.464.6059, 512.464.6036



Round Rock High School Among Nation’s First Schools to Join New Campaign Led by Harvard’s Making Caring Common Project to Bridge Divides, Build Stronger Communities

Caring Schools #CommonGood Campaign Led by Harvard’s Making Caring Common Project Launched Today Round Rock, Texas – Round Rock High School is among the nation’s first schools to join a new national campaign to mobilize middle and high schools to prepare young people to be constructive community members and citizens who create a better world. Led by Harvard’s Making Caring Common project, the Caring Schools #CommonGood campaign aims to motivate schools to take action to help mend our country’s fractures and strengthen democracy. “By teaching empathy,” said Assistant Principal, Laurie Molis. “caring, respect and compassion, we at Round Rock High School challenge ourselves and our community to establish a place where everyone belongs and has a purpose. By encouraging others to help their peers we truly bring out the best in human nature. Dragons Fly Together!” The campaign seeks to advance the following specific goals by working with schools nationwide: 1. Deepen students’ care for others and their communities; 2. Increase equity and access for all students in the college admissions process; and 3. Reduce excessive achievement pressure in communities where it is detrimental to students.

These goals align with and build on Making Caring Common’s successful Turning the Tide initiative that has engaged more than 175 college admissions offices nationwide. “Our country is at a crossroads,” said Dr. Richard Weissbourd, Senior Lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Faculty Director of the Making Caring Common project. “We need to mobilize the great strengths of Americans to prepare young people to build strong, inclusive communities and to protect democracy. This work has perhaps never been more important.” To join the campaign, schools commit to taking substantial, meaningful action to advance one or more of the campaign’s goals and to engage in a self-assessment or evaluation process to measure the impact of their action(s). Schools that commit to, implement, and evaluate the impact of their efforts will earn a special designation from Making Caring Common. Round Rock High School was one of more than 135 schools that joined the campaign as “early leaders” who helped to inform, shape, and build momentum for the campaign. Round Rock High School’s commitments include Painting Away Prejudice by allowing campus organizations and individuals to paint positive artwork and messages of equity, caring and compassion for others. RRHS will also be hosting a series of Talk Across the Table, Diversity Dinner events, these dinners will encourage students to listen respectfully and constructively to those who don’t share their social, political, ethical or religious views or backgrounds. Students will view media like Ted Talks and short films and will dialogue about various, structured topics in order to appreciate and celebrate the diversity among our student population and community. Round Rock High School will also be supporting student and staff-led efforts that are already in place that meet the aforementioned criteria, such as Light Up Depression and a stress-relief room on campus. This work will be led by Laurie Molis, Assistant Principal, Tiffanie Harrison, Marketing Teacher & Campus Equity Leader and Monica Oliver, Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher. The Round Rock High School Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity Committee, Dragon Nation Student Council, TAFE and the Black Student Union will also be working together towards the implementation of Caring Common Initiatives. As part of the launch, Round Rock High School is joining other early leaders on Facebook and Twitter using the Caring Schools #CommonGood hashtag to express support for the campaign, publicly commit to a chosen action(s), and encourage schools nationwide to join the effort. New schools interested in joining the campaign are encouraged to share a photo and use the text “Count us in! We’re joining the Caring Schools #CommonGood campaign.” on Facebook and Twitter on March 6. More information about how schools, parents, and students can join the campaign can be found at commongoodcampaign.makingcaringcommon.org.

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About Round Rock High School Round Rock High School is a 6A high school within the Round Rock Independent School District in Round Rock, Texas. The Round Rock High School community population is constantly changing so that we are more diverse (economically and ethnically) year after year. This change has allowed students at Round Rock High School to learn about and appreciate the multitude of cultural differences thus enabling us to be a more understanding, tolerant, empathetic, and educated family. We are constantly striving to be an inclusive campus, one where every student enjoys feeling connected, and is a part of a smaller, more family enriched environment than the 3,500 student population suggest. The mission of Round Rock High School is to provide a safe and nurturing environment, promote respect and acceptance of self and others, create and maintain diverse opportunities, develop a strong foundation for future academic achievement and success for all students and to encourage a community environment. At Round Rock High School, we ignite passion in all Dragons to soar over boundaries, seize opportunities, and embody the legacy of our Dragon Nation! Web: https://rrhs.roundrockisd.org/ Twitter: @dragonnationrr About Making Caring Common Making Caring Common (MCC), a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, helps educators, parents, and communities raise children who are caring, responsible to their communities, and committed to justice. Web: www.makingcaringcommon.org Facebook: Making Caring Common Twitter: @MCCHarvardEd