Inter-Ethnic Program Has Effect at School

Century High School administrator Barbara King recalls the senior slave auction at the school last year that only succeeded in offending some students.

Such an incident might not happen this year, King said, now that Century has become the first campus in the Santa Ana Unified School District to participate in a program aimed at promoting tolerance and breaking down barriers between people.

The Inter-Ethnic Relations Program, sponsored with the Orange County Human Relations Council, has been held at various county schools for about 10 years, said coordinator Iliana Clemente.

But this is the first year for Santa Ana Unified, the county’s largest district, and one of its most diverse.

Century High teacher George Aguirre, one of the project organizers, has attributed a drop in the number of expulsions this academic year to the program, which has been named “Bridging Our Community Together.”

The program coincided with International Week at the school. The timing was intended, Aguirre said. “We wanted to expand upon the theme of International Week and make it more significant than just token food,” he said.

As part of the program, about 200 Century students participated in workshops from the beginning of the academic year. One session showed boys and girls that they may face different, but equally difficult, problems.

Even school staff, from the principal to janitors, were required to take part in some programs.

Some students who had participated in the workshops led discussions with their classmates. They were joined by speakers from the community, such as a Holocaust survivor.

“The biggest challenge in the world is being a good individual, and that was seen today,” said junior Veronica Ramirez, 16. “Breaking down barriers is part of being a good individual.”