It was an honor for students from South Fayette’s SHOUT (Social Handprints Overcoming Unjust Treatment) group to actively participate in the prestigious U.N. Eradicate Hate Global Summit held on Thursday, September 28, 2023. The Eradicate Hate Global Summit seeks collaboration from the world’s experts in combating hate-motivated violence. Organized by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU), a student-led portion of the Summit invited various school districts from the region to join a profound conversation and reflection surrounding the themes of unity, empathy, and communal support, stemming from the impactful documentary, "Repairing the World: Stories from the Tree of Life."

The documentary showcased the unity and resilience of the Greater Pittsburgh Community in the aftermath of the Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting in 2018. It depicted how diverse facets of our community converged to extend solidarity and support to the Jewish community and the families of the victims.

Following the viewing, students embarked on a design sprint, brainstorming innovative and thoughtful activities aimed at eradicating hate within their respective school districts. “Being at the Eradicate Hate Conference opened my eyes to the other ways that schools handle hate and how they want to continue to fight those negative aspects in school and in life,” said South Fayette senior Anyce Rivera. “I especially like that, during lunch and our brain storming time, people were working together to come up with values and ideas, and others would walk around to other tables getting to know them and their ideas.


All participants were surprised and thrilled to learn that The Grable Foundation was gifting each of the participating school districts $1,000 to help bring their activities to fruition.

At South Fayette, SHOUT students are planning to allocate this contribution to enhance their upcoming Uncommon Conference on equity, inclusion, and belonging. “After attending the Summit,” said Chuck Herring, SHOUT advisor and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the district, “our student leaders are even more energized and inspired to implement initiatives that foster a more inclusive, equitable, and loving environment within our district and the South Fayette community.”

Promotional videos from South Fayette SHOUT and for the Eradicate Hate Global Summit 2023 can be viewed at the following links:
South Fayette: https://youtu.be/nMxhVbhS5DU
Overall Promo: https://youtu.be/uOWOPWMOE_Q