A Tree Grows

In early 2016 Katee, an intern at our office, was asked to lead an activity at a student workshop. Katee wanted to explore developing something new, interactive and engaging. In thinking through ideas, she wisely took a few factors into account (1) orange is the designated color of bullying prevention (2) budget for materials was limited which meant leveraging practical, low cost resources, and (3) students love interactive, visually appealing methods of participation.

The end result? A UNITY TREE!

Creating your own unity tree is an interactive and hands-on activity, a shared experience in which anyone can participate and everyone can watch the tree grow. Each person contributes their own unique experiences, creative ideas, and strategies by writing positive messages on leaves that are attached to the tree. As the number of leaves increases, it creates a visual reminder, demonstrating that when we are united we can create social change.

THE ORIGINAL UNITY TREE

Below is version one of Katee's first unity tree. Steps to create your own include:

1. Fill the base of a flower vase with the cotton balls, tissue paper, or other materials. Use tree branches, sticks, skinny craft sticks, or another ‘branch-like’ item and place inside the vase, so the material holds it vertically upward.

2. Cut orange paper into strips of 1 ½” to 2” wide and 11” long.

3. Ask participants to write a message on the orange strips of construction paper, which will represent the “leaves” of the tree. Below are three options for types of messages, or create your own:

a. If you planted a seed, what would you tell your seed about bullying?

b. What can you do change/impact your school’s culture about bullying? c. How can you support a friend/peer who is being bullied?

1. Tape each response to the end of the slip around a tree branch, so the message is easy to read.

VERSION 2.0

Katee's unity tree continued to grow (yes, pun is intentional) into new iterations. Version 2.0 was designed using a bulletin board. See instructions below.

1. On the classroom wall or bulletin board, create the trunk of a tree, along with branches, with construction paper or materials of your own choosing.

2. Next, cut out leaf shaped pieces of orange paper; make them large enough for students to write a message.

3. Below are three options for types of messages, or create your own:

a. If you planted a seed, what would you tell your seed about bullying?

b. What can you do change/impact your school’s culture about bullying?

c. How can you support a friend/peer who is being bullied?

4. Have each student write down their response on a leaf.

5. Attach each of the leaves to the tree.

AND THE TREE GREW and GREW

In October 2016, the UNITY TREE activity was released as a new idea for National Bullying Prevention Month. Teachers around the nation took the concept and made it their own. From the seed of Katee's original idea, trees grew and blossomed in all shapes and sizes.

A few are shared below. John F. Kennedy was quoted as saying "one person can make a difference and everyone should try." Cheers to Katee for being creative and caring, we gratefully thank her for uniting our students and schools in kindness, acceptance and inclusion.