“We want to fight against labels and stereotypes and start embracing one another’s differences, not labels.” This is a sentence from the project presentation to the Rotary of St. Cloud by the Junior Rotarians from Apollo High School.
The Junior Rotarians are a subsidiary of the Rotary. The Rotary is made up of community leaders that help to create positive, lasting change within their communities. There are five area schools that work with the organization including: Apollo High School, Tech High School, Cathedral High School, St. John’s Prepatory and St. Cloud Christian School.
Junior Rotarians are nominated by teachers and counselors from their school. There are no certain criteria, but these students are already being viewed as leaders among their peers.
Students are selected at the beginning of the year and are paired with a mentor from the Rotary. These Junior Rotarians are given the opportunity to attend the additional volunteer opportunities with the Rotary.
Students are assigned a month and attend the regular Rotary meetings during their assigned month. At that time, students are responsible to give a presentation on themselves, their passions, goals and involvement with the Rotary as a whole.
Each school’s group presents their project to the Rotary in November and then presents the results of their project in May.
Apollo Rotarians want to make a difference.
Apollo’s project, “I Am More Than…”, is about engaging their peers in the fight against stereotypes and labels.
Cindi Patten, the Junior Rotarian advisor, says, “They wanted to have a greater impact on their class.”
Students used the $1,000 given by the Rotary to create a “No Labels” campaign. Part of the funds went to purchsing wrist bands. Each student or staff member that signed the banner during Culture Week, hosted at Apollo, received a wrist band to wear.
The remaining funds were used to promote and celebrate different cultures at Apollo. One day during Culture Week, was celebrating and enjoying food from different cultures. Another was wearing traditional dress from your ancestry. Students were able to try on clothes from other cultures, have henna done on their hands, and learn about European yarn crafts and Mexican paper flowers.
The Rotary applauded the Apollo students for a unique type of activity.
“I appreciate these students representing all walks of life:” says Patten, “varying degrees of interests, volunteers, artists, athletes, all from very diverse backgrounds and all coming together for a common goal.”
The I Am More Than… banner hangs in the commons of Apollo High School as a testament to all the students and staff who stand up to stereotypes.