Media Room

University of the Rockies is set to take part in National Mix It Up at Lunch Day on Tuesday, Nov. 9. The event is designed to promote diversity and break down barriers that separate people in society, both of which are core principles of University of the Rockies.

The purpose of National Mix It Up at Lunch Day is to create an opportunity for students at schools across the country to break out of their usual routines and sit with someone new in the cafeteria during lunch. Students are encouraged to step over social and racial boundaries to meet peers they might not ordinarily interact with at school. More than two million students from 5,000 different schools are expected to participate in this year’s event.

To celebrate National Mix It Up at Lunch Day, University of the Rockies staff will participate in events to illustrate the importance of bringing diverse people together. Groups of University of the Rockies employees based out of the university’s San Diego headquarters will visit three local primary schools to take part in their Mix It Up lunches. Employees will sit with students during lunch and facilitate discussion when necessary. The three schools will be Creekside Elementary School, Bernardo Heights Middle School and Rancho Bernardo High School. 

“Although National Mix It Up at Lunch Day was created to foster understanding among primary school students, I think it is an ideal opportunity for all of us to change our routines and interact with new people,” said University of the Rockies president Dr. Charlita Shelton, who will take part in the Mix It Up lunch at Creekside Elementary School.

University of the Rockies employees who are unable to attend the lunches at the San Diego schools will still have an opportunity to participate in Mix It Up at Lunch Day. The cafeteria at the university’s San Diego headquarters will host its own Mix It Up lunch on Nov. 9. Employees will be asked to have lunch with colleagues outside of their usual circle of influence and engage with unfamiliar coworkers. To add to the Mix It Up experience, Marcia Jackson and Dan Johnson, University of the Rockies doctoral students from the school’s Colorado Springs campus, will be on hand to discuss the importance of forging connections to build communities.

National Mix It Up at Lunch Day is sponsored by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance project which was created to provide educators with free resources to help reduce prejudice and promote respect for differences among the nation’s children. The Mix It Up program began in 2002 and is celebrating its ninth year of breaking down barriers.

About University of the Rockies

University of the Rockies is a graduate school specializing in master's and doctorate degree programs in psychology. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (www.ncahlc.org), classes are offered online and at the University's Colorado Springs, Colorado, campus. For more information, please visit www.rockies.edu or call Shari Rodriguez, associate vice president of Public Relations, at 866.621.0124 x2513.