KO to become a “No Place for Hate” School

Inspired by KO’s visit to the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) “Never is Now” summit in New York City, Hadley Hersh ’26 was compelled to enroll KO as a “No Place for Hate” school – one of 1,800 nationwide. With the support of DEIB Director Rich Mutts, Hersh is making her concept a reality.

“Once I heard about the “No Place for Hate” program, I wondered why KO wasn’t a “No Place for Hate” school,” Hersh said. “I want all students at KO to feel welcomed and included and know they belong at KO.”

The student-led “No Place for Hate” initiative started 25 years ago to combat bias, bullying, and injustice by engaging school communities in meaningful discussions. The program provides helpful resources to guide students through creating a respectful community for all its members. The substantive handbook showcases age-appropriate elementary and high school activities. Some activities suggested include creating a “Humans of KO” Instagram featuring KO students with different aspects of their identity. Another meaningful activity is for students to create a listening journal for one week, recording instances of bias and stereotypes in the media and their community.

Hersh said one of the first steps in becoming a “No Place for Hate” school is registering with the organization and forming a committee. Following this initial step, Hersh and her team will conduct a community survey to learn about the issues the students are facing. Once she receives the feedback, she will plan activities around the study to determine what the school needs to do to combat hate.

“I don’t want to recruit only my friends in this group,” she said.  “I want a broad and diverse group, even the students in the Middle School. I want all sorts of perspectives and input. I am really excited to get started.”