Because no student should sit alone at the lunch table

Four students at a Boca Raton high school noticed that sometimes, fellow students ate lunch alone. Having been in that awkward, uncomfortable position themselves, they decided to do something about it. They banded together to form a club called We Dine Together.

During the school's lunch break, club members roam the courtyard and seek out students sitting alone. They introduce themselves and strike up a conversation. Hopefully, the connections made will help new or socially isolated students feel part of their school community. The club hopes their program becomes a model for others across the country.

A few months ago, I highlighted a similar connectional program. That one, Sit With Us, is a free smartphone app created by a California student. She too had felt the pain of sitting alone at school lunch. The purpose is the same - to reach out and create a welcoming community to every student in the school.

The empathy shown by these sensitive students is a credit to them, their families, and their school communities. Instead of complaining about a problem, they found a way to be part of the solution.

This teen says, "Sit with us"

For Natalie Hampton, a high school junior from Sherman Oaks California, lunch periods back in seventh grade were dismal. She ate lunch alone the entire school year and felt embarrassed that her classmates could see how lonely and vulnerable she was. Her status as 'the girl with nowhere to sit' left her open to bullying.

Natalie eventually changed schools, made friends, and is now thriving in her new school. But the experience haunted her. She decided that no other student should ever have to endure that kind of torment.

So this 16-year-old developed and released an App called Sit With Us available free in the iTunes store. App users can, privately and without well-meaning adult interference, locate 'ambassadors' within a school's lunch period. Those student ambassadors have agreed to allow anyone to sit with them at lunch. Natalie hopes this gives all students a chance to connect and make new friends.

This young lady saw a problem and did something about it. Well done, Natalie.