02/23/2026
We are so proud of our 50+ Norse students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners who showed up and showed out for our recent community service initiative. We were recently invited to join for No One Eats Alone (NOEA) by Newport High School, where we had an opportunity to engage with 7th - 12th grade students during their lunch periods.
Watching how everyone was able to connect with the students, learn about their interests and even talk about college was extremely heart warming. Several even mentioned their interest in attending NKU. The gratitude that the teachers, custodial and lunch staff showed was mutual and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. THANK YOU NORSE Family for making this a huge impact and success. To say we are grateful for all of our volunteers would be an understatement.
No One Eats Alone (NOEA) is a national, student-led, and peer-driven initiative, created by Beyond Differences, designed to combat social isolation and create an inclusive, welcoming lunchroom culture for grades 5-8. Held annually on February 13, it encourages students to foster belonging by inviting peers, starting conversations, and preventing anyone from eating alone.
-Core Purpose: To reduce loneliness and bullying, ensuring every student feels included in the school community.
Target Audience: Primarily focused on middle school students (grades 5–8), where social anxiety and isolation are often prevalent.
-Activities: Schools receive a “Belonging Box” with lesson plans, and conversation starters. Activities include interactive games like “Find Someone Who” bingo and, in some cases, peer-led, art-based projects that build, for instance, a physical web of yarn to represent community.
-Impact: The initiative has expanded to thousands of schools using the power of student leadership to turn lunchtime into an inclusive
