"Schools remain one of the few social institutions that have the potential to bring youth together across racial and ethnic lines. New social science research demonstrates the importance of fostering sustained interracial contact between youth in order to prepare them to thrive in a multiracial society. This brief aims to summarize much of this new evidence, with special attention to its practical implications for the social relations and contexts within schools."
Linda Tropp has coauthored a research brief for the National Coalition on School Diversity discussing the importance of intergroup contact between youth of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Positive effects of contact can be attributed to factors such as fostering cross-racial friendships, implementing cooperative learning strategies, and promoting supportive norms in school and among peers. The brief also reviews how children's early life experiences can shape their attitudes and beliefs later in life.
Tropp, L.R., Saxena, S. (2018, May). Re-Weaving the Social Fabric through Integrated Schools: How Intergroup Contact Prepares Youth to Thrive in a Multiracial Society. The National Coalition on School Diversity, Research Briefs. http://school-diversity.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/NCSD_Brief13.pdf