During the months of October and November, The Calumet Roundtable partnered up with Buddy Benches to create a safe haven for children who feel left out. Buddy Benches is a nonprofit organization that aids in eliminating loneliness and fosters friendship on the playground.
A Buddy Bench is created for children to take action when they notice a classmate who is left out. When a child sits on the bench, it signals that they feel lonely and are in need of a friend.
Students at Purdue University Northwest, under the direction of Professor Mary Beth O’Connor, enlisted the help of the entire university to collect plastic caps and lids. Marked boxes were placed around the campus for students who wanted to donate.
The lids were then collected and compiled for drop off to the Buddy Benches organization. The plastic will then be melted down to create a Buddy Bench. The finished product will be donated to a school in need to spread the message of inclusion and kindness. Visit buddybench.org for your organization to get involved.
The Calumet Roundtable is AVA Award winning student -produced faculty-supervised television program that airs via ION Television Network and is platform for scholarly discussions. The Calumet Roundtable airs Thursday’s at 5:30a.m. on ION Television.