School & Community Nationwide Initiative
Unite your school or organization with an interactive CommUNITY Board. Select wall space in your school or organization to design a CommUNITY Board that creates unity through collaboration and creative expression, both locally and nationally.
Every two months, Herren Project will share a new theme for the CommUNITY Board to design at your school or organization. Our goal is to bring schools and communities together in collaboration and to engage each other in a community-building activity to strengthen connectedness among peers in schools and communities nationwide.
Plan ahead, gather supplies, and embrace the shared contributions of those in your school and community. Even better, know that you are part of something even bigger – a community nationwide! These CommUNITY Boards are meant to be an uplifting and inspirational source of purpose and belonging for the community. Encourage those in your community to participate in this initiative to support, inspire, and empower one another!
Unite, share, learn, and interact nationwide by celebrating what makes each one of our communities unique and strong. Showcase your CommUNITY Boards and post nationwide on social media and in our private School & Communities Facebook group by tagging @herrenproject and using the hashtag #commUNITYboard. We might even feature your CommUNITY Board in an upcoming edition of the School and Community Newsletter!
If you are not a member of our School & Communities Facebook group, click here to join.
September/October- Good Things Grow-What Will You Grow This Year?
Here at Herren Project, we believe in the power of good and that good things grow! Use this month’s community board theme as an opportunity to help those in your community share what they hope to “grow” this year.
Design: Please see the example below, and know that we encourage you to be creative and design your CommUNITY Board in a way that works for your space! Leave out paper flower cutouts and markers/pens for those in your community to write what they hope to “grow” during the upcoming year. Together, we can continue to grow good and build successful, resilient communities!
November/December- Celebrate We Will, Together!
As we head into the holiday season, let’s take a moment to learn more about the customs and traditions we celebrate as individuals, families and communities. Use the theme of this board to create a sense of belonging and a safe space for everyone to share their favorite holiday or cultural tradition.
Design: As always, we encourage you to be creative in your design! Use the Title we have provided and be sure to provide a way for folks in your community to write down their holiday traditions or favorite way to celebrate their culture. Provide a variety of colorful slips of paper and writing utensils on a small table. Encourage those in your community to add to the board throughout November and December. See below for an example!
January/February-What Do You See in 2025?
The beginning of a new year brings with it a wealth of new goals, dreams and opportunities. With that being said, it can also put pressure on us and those we care for to create goals or resolutions that may not align with what we truly hope to accomplish. As we begin 2025, we encourage you to create a bulletin board for your community to share their vision for the new year.
A vision is an expression of an individual’s ideal self and ideal future. It includes dreams, values, passions, and a sense of purpose. It serves as inspiration for achieving what you desire to do and who you wish to be. This New Year, always Be You!
Design: Use the title, What Do You See in 2025? Leave out paper cutouts of sunglasses, and a variety of writing utensils and creative art materials. Encourage the members in your community to share what they see for themselves in the coming year. If we can create spaces for folks to share their dreams and speak about them, we are building a path to success for all!
March/April- A Window into Wellness
The Herren Organizations invite you to celebrate Wellness Week with Herren (WWWH), March 3-8, 2025.
The “Be You, Live Well” message is about embracing your unique self while striving for wellness. Use this message and elements of wellness to guide and inspire your design. With this in mind, we encourage you to create a “Window Into Wellness” board. Please see the image below for an example.
Design: Using the aforementioned title, create a board that will allow you to display how you and those in your community have chosen to celebrate WWWH. We also encourage you to leave out colorful slips of paper along with writing utensils so that folks in your community can share ways they lean into wellness! We also encourage you to add examples of ways to celebrate wellness through movement, music, and creative arts.
May/June-Rainbow of Hope
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and June is Pride Month. To honor this, we encourage you to create a board that will empower the folks in your community to share ways they hold onto hope. Together we can help break the stigma that often is tied to those living with mental health challenges and for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Let’s come together as a commUNITY to deepen hope and a sense of belonging for all.
Design: Please see the example below for the design of the board. Leave out colorful slips of paper (red, orange, green, blue, indigo, violet) along with a stapler and encourage those in your community to share how they use hope and courage to live a happy, fulfilling life. Print out simple instructions as well so folks know what to do with the slips of paper.
1: Write the ways they find hope.
2: Staple the slip of paper to the board.
Herren Project offers important resources that we encourage you to print to hang around the board for anyone needing them. Together, we can make the changes needed to ensure everyone can live a happy life as authentically as they are. Be sure to take a look at our past CommUNITY Board for other activities that you can use.
