Mountain Vista Middle School 7th graders participated in Challenge Day on Jan. 7. Challenge Day is an anti-bullying program that goes beyond anti-bullying to try and create empathy and understanding for fellow peers. The Challenge Day mission is to provide youth and their communities with experiential programs that demonstrate the possibility of love and connection through the celebration of diversity, truth, and full expression.
The program encourages students to Be The Change. They help students recognize how they can Be The Change with their call to action phrase: Notice, Choose, Act. The idea is for students to notice the change that needs to be made in their school and community, and then choose to change and act on the change they want to see.
The Challenge Day Leaders began by having everyone participate in a few games to boost laughter and fun. Students were then broken into Small Family Groups. Each adult volunteer had four to five students. Every student was encouraged to share something personal with the starter line, “if you really knew me.” The program tried to make the students feel as free, safe, and open as possible so that they could talk freely about whatever was on their mind. Many students opened up about being self-conscious, being bullied, not fitting in, and even shared some personal family issues.
In the game Cross the Line, Challenge Day Leaders verbalized a situation. If a student went through that situation, the student would then cross the line to the other side of the room. Situations included losing a family member, substance abuse problems, a family member passing, divorce, etc. Many students were surprised to learn what some of their classmates had been through.
By the end of the day, many students and teachers pledged to Notice, Choose, Act, and Be The Change they want to see in their schools. The vision of Challenge Day is that every child lives in a world where they feel safe, loved and celebrated. Learn more about Challenge Day and how to do a Challenge Day in your school at www.challengeday.org.
