Civil Rights Team Project Celebrates 25 Years Supporting Maine School Communities

##*Teams across Maine holding Day of Welcome*

AUGUSTA - The Civil Rights Team Project, which is housed in the Office of the Attorney General, is celebrating its 25th anniversary of working to support students and school communities by holding a Day of Welcome on Friday, November 5. On the Day of Welcome, Civil Rights Teams in schools across Maine will engage in a variety of programs, from guest speakers to information flyers to announcements at school assemblies, designed to make students feel safe and welcome in their schools.

"For 25 years, the Civil Rights Team Project has been working with school communities

to foster an environment of inclusion and respect based on their or their loved ones' identities," said Attorney General Aaron M. Frey. "I celebrate their work and congratulate them and every Civil Rights Team in the state for making their school communities a better place, and I applaud their work on this year's Day of Welcome."

Started in 1996, the program is available to all Maine schools, grades 3 and up, at no cost. There are currently 175+ schools participating. An extracurricular offering, students participate by choice and work under the guidance of at least one school-based adult advisor.

Civil rights teams, under the guidance of the Civil Rights Team Project, engage their school communities in thinking and talking about issues related to race and skin color, national origin and ancestry, religion, disabilities, gender (including gender identity and expression), and sexual orientation. The action plan is one of the many supports the office provides to civil rights teams and participating schools.

Anyone interested in starting a civil rights team in their school should visit the Civil Rights Team Project website: www.maine.gov/ag/civil_rights.