A Challenge that Sparked a Revolution

We don’t remember days, we remember moments in our lives.  –Unknown

I remember the moment that Ronald Reagan was shot…I was in my high school English class. I remember the Challenger falling out of the sky….I was eating lunch in the GAG at Wayne State College. I remember the Columbine High School killings…I was in my classroom at West Point Jr-Sr High School. I remember the moment I knew that a high school assembly made a difference that could reshape lives.

Rachel’s Challenge (www.rachelschallenge.org) is an assembly that challenges people to live lives based on kindness and compassion. Never once did the message say, “Don’t bully” or “Don’t stand by and let others become victims.” Rather, this unique approach teaches students to be kind and caring. This isn’t the first time that students have heard that message, but it is the first time that this message was “real” for students.

Bullying is wrong……always wrong. Schools have created and implemented many programs to stop bullying. Simply bringing in programs, however,  that tell students what not to do hasn’t been the answer. Rachel’s Challenge takes the unique approach of telling the students what to do…..live a life based on character, integrity, and compassion; and the school community will become a safer and kinder place to learn and to grow.

Rachel’s Challenge issued 5 Challenges to the students.

Dream Big.

Look for the best in others.

Choose Positive Influences.

Speak with Kindness.

Start a Chain Reaction.

Not only did this program issue 5 Challenges to the students and the community, it provided a curriculum and examples of how to best sustain the Rachel Challenge movement. Best of all, the students accepted the challenges, and they have vowed to change the culture of their school. They believed. They spent 60 minutes in an auditorium listening to the legacy that Rachel Joy Scott has given to millions around the world, and they decided to change their lives as a result. They decided to start a revolution of kindness.

The students won’t remember that Rachel’s Challenge visited their school on October 17^th, but they will remember the moment that Rachel Scott’s message touched their lives.