Kindness and compassion are at the heart of the Rachel's Challenge initiative, and students in Rockwall ISD have been nationally recognized for their role at the forefront of the movement.
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"Look at me, I dress differently. Today really got me thinking about it. I'm already planning to find some kids in middle school that I made fun of and apologize."
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-- the morning assembly was over; many of the students were moved to tears, and the speaker got a standing ovation...much to the amazement of BHS Principal Christopher Dailey.
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Senior Austin Brandt, 17, said he hadn't thought much about the victims and was stunned to learn someone as kind as Rachel was among them. That made him realize how hard everyone must work to end violence, he said.
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"I see kids ... by themselves eating lunch," Day said. "I never really took the time to say anything to them. It kind of opened my eyes."
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Last year, Larry Scott said, the group did presentations at 1,400 schools and for more than 2 million students.
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"The students who saw [Rachel's Challenge] were really affected by it," said Laura. "It was a catalyst for change at Nashoba and people saw that."
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Principal Christopher Dailey wants to promote the program so that many people can experience the story of Rachel Scott. He also wants the community to know that BHS cares. "We'll do whatever we can to let people know the good things we're doing here,"
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"They're just counting down the days," Jennifer Weinstein, advisor to C-A High School's Student Council, said of her students Friday. After years of effort, "they are finally seeing the results," she said.
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Ever since the first time I saw Rachel's Challenge, my life has never been the same. I do more, I love more and I live more. I feel like I am a totally different person since accepting the challenge. I believe that I have the chance to make a difference..
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"Students walked away from this program inspired to become better people and to really touch the life of a person in a positive way," Zinober said.Several other students also felt the presentation offered them a valuable lesson and left the room ready...
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...hosted workshops and presentations at the JVS on several related topics, such as the dangers of cyber bullying. But the students have a general consensus that "Rachel's Challenge" had the biggest effect so far.
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Members of the BHS Friends of Rachel group collected the Valentine's made by students from Head Start, Finley-Oates and I. W. Evans and also blew up balloons to decorate in honor of National Salute to the Hospitalized Veterans...
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"Beth has always talked about it and now I understand why she does what she does with it," Becki said. "It really is a great way to offer students an opportunity to do the right thing."
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Senior Matt DeLong said Hamman's presentation was emotional and powerful. "I was blown away by how awesome she (Scott) was. It was moving," DeLong said.
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His sister's views on the world were the exact opposite of the two killers. They wanted to start a chain reaction of hate and violence, while she believed in starting a chain reaction of kindness and compassion.
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Grizzell students then joined forces with Welcome Warehouse to create Dublin's Friends of Rachel to promote the chain reaction of kindness in the community. "They have taken what Jeff did, and started a chain reaction," Jones said.
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"Our school is pretty good with, I guess, just being kind to each other," he said. "We want to build on that and expand on it more."
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"I will fund it myself next year if I have to," Patota said. "I just believe in this program so much. It really carries through with what the students do and how they treat each other through the school year."
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The program is one of the largest character education efforts in the country, with more than 3,484 presentations last year and more than 324 so far this year. Its web site says it is non-religious, non-political, and non-profit.
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"Rather than spending time on bullying and discipline and focusing on the negative part of things, we're gonna focus on the positive, and really help create this positive behavior support for the students here at Edgemont," says Dave Webster of Edgemont..
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"The thing I really liked was that the teachers said how fabulous it was," said Jessica Kraus, a teacher who helped organize the event. "The students gave them a lot of positive feedback."
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If silence was a discernible sound, the volume in the Fine Arts Center at Waxahachie High School would have been deafening as Craig Scott emotionally recounted his experience...
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"I'm glad to be embarrassed to raise money for such a worthy endeavor. I'm definitely 'taking one for the team' up here," said Franklin Middle School Teacher Scott Nutty...
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"We want to be proactive," she said. "There's nothing wrong with caring." Having the program in the school has already started to yield results as Herrera wasn't the only one pledging to be a kinder student.
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However, nearly 300 students, about a third of the student body, turned up for the second assembly, which began with them sharing their impressions of "Rachel's Challenge."
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"Really what the program does for youth is it engages them, when kids hear the story and see how easy it is to do it, they feel like they can tap into that power," Gamache said.
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Working together with her parents, Darrell and Sandy Scott, Dr. Burton spearheaded what is now the model district for a comprehensive kindergarten through twelfth grade Rachel's Challenge initiative, a kindness and compassion program...
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He's heard from hundreds of students who say that because of Rachel, they're being treated with more kindness at school.
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"Our hope is that program will help us with our building goal of ensuring that each student at Ross High School has strong relationships with other students and staff," Wildow said.
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"Environment wise, if you change the culture and you make kids feel welcome and then you can achieve those things educationally," he said.
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Though Rachel's story evolved out of tragedy, the message students received on Wednesday was upbeat, powerful and non-violent. Many said they were motivated to make positive changes in their lives and in the way they treat others.
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"Beattie helping Haiti," they chant as they hold out the collection containers. "Even one dollar will help," some students holler. So far, the Club has collected nearly $1,200. Anderson said the donations have ranged from a handful of change to a $200...
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More than 500 people filled the Moberly Area Community College Auditorium to hear Nichole Nowlan from the "Friends of Rachel."
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"Our organization has documented 10 cases where students planned to shoot others at their school or blow the building up and heard our presentation and had a change of heart," Craig said. "It is not easy for me to re-live this stuff, but it is worth it."
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The school started making chains in October and now has 5,726 links. "That's a lot of kindness," counselor Donna Graybill told the students.
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"We do a lot of things for respect and bullying, and this program really helps," said Principal Bruce Fraser. "It has made a huge difference."
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Students at North Royalton Middle School were brought to tears Jan. 14 as Craig described his sister, Rachel, and illustrated a challenge to show compassion, have positive influences, hold fast to goals and dreams and demonstrate kindness to others.
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The fallout of the tragedy has led to changes in school security, and how to look for warning signs in troubled students, but it's also left an impact in more positive and far reaching ways.
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"I've never walked into an assembly before where the kids were waiting silently for me to talk," Plymouth South High School Principal Patricia Connors said, referring to the Monday morning sessions at her school. "You could hear a pin drop."
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"Northwestern Middle School is excited about the opportunity to kick off Rachel's Challenge in our local school and the broader community as one more way of creating a foundation of positive thinking and positive acting community members of all ages...
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According to Scott, one of the things that makes Rachel's Challenge so effective is that it doesn't just focus on the problem. It offers a solution. "Kids are into it," Scott explained. "They want to know, 'What can I do?' "
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"It goes closely with the superintendent's mission, which is all about the idea of compassion, understanding and personalization. That's really why it fits in so well with the school system. It's talking about taking care of each other and building...
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Devenport adds, "Rachel has left behind an amazing legacy and a simple challenge to anyone who will accept it - treat others with kindness and compassion and you just may change the world you live in."
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The school has been searching for an anti-bullying program to run from kindergarten through 12th grade since the summer, and Rachel's Challenge was their answer.
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I have had the opportunity to view many student, parent, and community programs during my years of service in education. I can honestly tell you that this is by far the most life-changing and school culture changing event that I have ever been witness to.
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Nearly two months after having a presentation of Rachel's Challenge at their school, Elsinboro students are continuing to honor the program's mission to create a safe learning environment, improve academic achievement, and provide students with social...
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Volunteers regularly greet returning troops. This is the second year the Friends of Rachel club has participated in this activity. Roach students also recently collected 500 children's books for the USO library.
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"For kids to be in this group, following Rachel's Challenge is about being who they are and standing out in a way when maybe it's not the popular thing to do," Dohlman said. "Just doing things that put smiles on peoples faces."
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The Friends of Rachel Club wanted to do something related to homelessness, and rather than give out coats and hats they decided to "create a memory" - take the children "somewhere special, somewhere we make them feel important,"...
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...would like to hold a benefit to raise money for the family of their friend Ryan Orcutt of Brockton, who was a sophomore at the school when he died in a motorcycle accident last March. "A lot of the football players were inspired by the program,"...
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Craig says his sister always looked for ways to be kind and compassionate to others and that's the message he brought to the audience.
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"Rachel believed in when a persons heart is to be kind towards other people and have be compassionate to other people then there's not going to be any bullying there's not going to be any violence," Larry Scott said.
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"We don't want Rachel's death to be in vain," said Kelly Rappa, an assistant principal at the school who organized the event with teachers Mitesh Ghia and Melissa Yuhas.
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"I thought that, maybe instead of our captains (who) usually go out and shake hands with the other team's captains, that we can have our special-needs kids go out and shake the other team's captains' hands, and they can go out and wear Somers stuff...
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"This is a true and simple story about a teenager who believed she could make a difference," said Craig Scott, Rachel's younger brother. "She believed strongly in one word, and that word was compassion."
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"It's not just sad, it's motivational. I think that's the biggest piece," he said. "It's easy to do. It's not hard to be nice to someone, to reach out to someone. It doesn't take any training."
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Vitelli predicted that Scott's talk would be "one of the most powerful hours of your life." "All I can say to you is, 'Be very open-minded as you listen to this,' " Vitelli said.
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"It's a first step in improving the whole climate of the school, showing students that today could be their last day and to remind them to make sure they live life to the fullest," Feeney said. "They got the message...
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Junior Kelsey Goldberg said Scott "made people think about how they should change, so no one has to go through what he went through." "I saw people crying that I didn't expect would cry," said Goldberg, who is a member of both student groups.
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Friends of Rachel, a non-school sanctioned group of students at Minooka High School, have taken the challenge and meet with volunteer staff.
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"Mix it Up Day was a huge success and we are very thankful to the F.O.R. participants, the teachers who particpated, and all the students who made the day enjoyable," Haggerty said.
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"Considering the economy, we just wanted to do something for people who find themselves in a bad situation," Boisvert said. "The message of Rachel's Challenge is really powerful and this is just a small thing to do."
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After a presentation at a school a few weeks ago, one of the biggest bullies in the school - a student who had been suspended for 10 days already - came down in front of the audience and apologized for his actions.
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A paper chain link was developed last year, stretching from the McParland main site to the Annex with each link consisting of acts of kindness by students of nearly 7,000 links.
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While we have not had any Columbine-like instances in our community, the positive messages that Rachel community and student body - and can only help in keeping this type of tragedy from ever occurring here, especially as a result of peer pressure...
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When students are "caught being kind" they will be given a paperchain link to attach to a schoolwide "chain of kindness." Previous schools participating in the challenge have constructed chains miles long - a feat Tibbals school hopes to duplicate...
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Scott explained how Rachel Scott was known as a peacekeeper and she believed that showing compassion would start a chain reaction among students.
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"It's a very powerful and moving, and sometimes a life changing assembly program that they're going to see today. What they'll get out of this is something they can utilize day to day to make positive impacts with the people they love around them."
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"Tonight I'm going to share a simple story about a teenager who didn't get to do anything big in her life," Scott said, during a speech at McPherson College Wednesday night. "She wasn't a big movie actress or a leader of a company or organization...
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Student groups, like REV's Friends of Rachel Club, help organize activities and drives to help people they often times, don't know.
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"I had teachers say it was hard to come back to their classrooms and not do something (in relation to the presentation)," Dare said. "It was lunchtime after the second presentation, and several of the kids came in crying. It definitely had an impact."
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The Rachel's Challenge school program has prevented numerous suicides, drastically reduced bullying, and in three known instances in 2007 alone prevented a planned school shooting.
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The Friends of Rachel club also donated $1,414 to the nonprofit group. "The money will provide 8,282 meals to children who need food.
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"I had never seen these kids more compelled to listen, sitting intently," said MCHS Central Campus social worker Julia Nickel. Since then, many have been moved to make big changes in their own lives...
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"Rachel's story has such an ability to get to the kids hearts," Gamache said. "Rachel was a real person, and it's a real story. All the things she did were simple and easy."
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The program couldn't have come at a better time. My son had told me about bullying incidents at school a week earlier, after he asked if I had heard about Columbine. Of course, I knew about Columbine.
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Scott didn't just tell an inspirational story, he urged the students to choose positive influences in their lives, to write down and visualize their goals and to dream.
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"One senior stopped me and said it was the best assembly she has ever seen," said high school principal Mark Schultz. "We had some very at-risk kids describe the presenter as great and the assembly as amazing.
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"They were absolutely silent. Listened to every minute, could have dropped a pin. It was wonderful," said assistant principal Linda Groebner.
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Challenged to start a chain reaction of kindness last week, virtually every student at Clarendon Hills MS took up the dare, and they did this not with the begrudging, put-upon attitude that this age so often adopts but rather willingly and eagerly.
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"We had the program a couple of years ago and felt it had a positive impact on our school culture," Principal Joseph Venuto said.
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"The presentation was definitely eye-opening ... we want to emulate that through our group and step outside our comfort zones."
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William Brown, principal at the school, said a Chain Reaction club of about 70 students will be created to help spread the message of the program throughout the year.
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"I think all of us were impressed and inspired by his message," Matthew Burchill, a MHS junior, said. "A lot of times it seems speakers have this same rehashed message, but Craig really personalized his message.
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In memory of Chandler, the family is spreading the message of "Rachel's Challenge," a campaign named after Rachel Scott, the first one killed at Columbine High School in 1999.
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Since its inception shortly after Rachel's death, the program has visited 3,300 schools in 50 states and six countries, Hamman said. Asst. Principal Brad Scarbrough said King Middle participated in the program to improve relationships and create bonds.
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Testimonials from friends, letters and diary entries painted a much different picture of Rachel, who made a point of seeking out newcomers, the disabled and bullied classmates. These anecdotes led to the fourth challenge: Use kind words...
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Both Principal Coni McAllister and school nurse Lori Couch thought it was important to bring the program to the school, after learning about it at a DARE Conference last year.
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...a Grade 12 student at Rosenort School said "It's amazing to me that someone who was our age could have made such a huge impact on so many people. That is really inspiring to me."
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The Chainlinks Club is an opportunity for students to continue the chain reaction through programs and community outreach," Foran said. "We want them to know how to reach out to their fellow students and their community...
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"This is all part of kindness and compassion," Lucht said, "which is what the KC Club is all about. It`s teaching them leadership. This is how they learn."
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...(FOR) club is currently leading a collection drive for the children`s branch of Zanmi Lasante... hoping to send baby caps, lightly used soccer gear and stuffed animals to comfort and inspire these needy children.
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"If you want to get rid of bullying. you focus on kindness. If you want to get rid of prejudice you focus on seeing the best in everyone," he stated.
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Cody Peck, a senor at the academy, says, "I learned that chain reactions happen all over the world...
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Assistant Principal Lisa Nazzaro said, "You know you have hit home when you see seventh- and eighth-graders becoming emotional during an assembly. At an age where students can be so cynical, it's heartwarming to see them open up.
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"I am very pleased to host this event for my students. All students deserve to be treated with kindness and compassion, and my hope is that students will realize that change begins with them," Brown said.
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Community involvement is one of the club's focuses, so it added the cleanup project to its list of activities that includes reaching out to new students and helping around campus.
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...just before 10 a.m. on Friday morning; the common sound of chatter and laughter emanating from the room as each took their seat. More than an hour later, when the doors reopened and those same students emerged, the sight was quite different.
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The message hit home with a lot of students. About 120 gathered Monday afternoon to go through a leadership training called the Friends of Rachel club, a student group designed to carry on the message given to students in the morning assembly.
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...he said. "I want to reach out like she (Rachel) did." Grade 9 student Tyler Nichol was also touched by the presentation. "It is more of a reminder of Rachel's Challenge," he said. "It reminds me how to respect people and family members."
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"There were few students at the end who were not visibly moved," said Stissing Mountain High School Principal Tara Horst. "Several actually came up and spoke with Luke after the presentation."
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Middle school Principal John Fisgus said the response of the students to Rachel's Legacy has been fantastic. "It has been a great day," he said.
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Scott gave his talk Tuesday at Mercy High School. He's shared the story with almost 13 million other students across the country.
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"We're blessed to have to have had him here to speak to our students," Sumner said. "Kids are kids, but I do believe the students understand the message and make changes as a result of it."
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MARINA DANIEL, 12, seventh grade "I'm going to keep an eye out for kids who could use some help at the field where I usually play." "Maybe I can reach out to a bully with kindness and it will help them do better."
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This year, Carnevali hopes to join forces with a club dedicated to spreading kindness and compassion among the students. Called Friends of Rachel, the club grew out of Rachel's Challenge, which was started in honor of Rachel Scott...
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Central freshman Adriana Vega said the video touched her heart and made her want to change the world. It had the same effect on freshman Claire Johnson, but also raised many questions for her, such as why the Columbine tragedy happened.
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Scott's message underscores how important it is to teach students about the value of good character, he said. "We are so concerned about how our schools perform in the classroom and on tests, but we also have to take care of each other," St. Amand said
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This program is one of the most profound, passionate and powerful programs that everyone should attend. Students from several school districts in the area were there, and hats off to those administrators who gave their students extra credit...
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Audience members said they were impressed with the presentation. Scott was a poignant and still humorous speaker, who spoke frankly and from the heart. "The idea is to move from something tragic to focus on something positive," Scott said.
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"We absolutely jumped on the opportunity to have it back because we felt it had an impact on our entire study body," Troxell said.
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In the silence of the DHS auditorium, it was evident that students were impacted both by Scott's story, and the shocking series of events on April 20th, 1999. This reaction is typical of what Towle has become accustomed to.
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His answer to stopping the violence: "I focus on the answer which is compassion and kindness which I think are the antidotes to anger and hatred."
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The girls have heard and embraced Rachel's Challenge, an international school outreach program that aims to prevent school violence. Themes in Rachel's Challenge are expected to be woven into tonight's Drum Cafe event.
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"I heard recently from a teacher in Orlando, Fla., who told me (she has) been in education for 17 years and had never seen anything as powerful as Rachel's Challenge," Burch said. He added that teacher told him Rachel's Challenge "did in an hour...
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Some of the chains extend over a mile, with the longest being over three miles long. That chain represented 123,000 acts of kindness recorded by one school district, according to information about the program.
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The PBIS program is one of many school initiatives across the nation inspired by "Rachel's Challenge," a bullying and violence abatement program founded by Darrell Scott.
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A number of students, including senior Jenna Jaymes, of Bartlett, took part in training to help integrate the Rachel's Challenge program into the school. "I'm always looking for service hours," Jaymes said.
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Most of the students and teachers responded positively, claiming that Rachel's Challenge was an inspiring and influential presentation to teenagers. "It changed my perspective. I already knew that people should act kindly, but Rachel's Challenge...
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...and he thinks Rachel's Challenge of a chain reaction of kindness is a perfect fit. "We have already had reports of several acts of kindness," Edwards said. After the morning assembly, students could join one of four chain-reaction clubs...
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They gathered in the old elementary school gym to create an art project of their hand prints that will be displayed throughout the school year. When it is done, there will be 530 little hands raised in permanent praise of being kind.
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The Friends of Rachel Club at BHS will be creating a "Patriot Hall" at Bonham High School to honor Bonhi graduates that are currently serving or have served in the US Armed Services. A 5'x8' framed USA flag will be hung in the hallway across...
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"I'm going home tonight to start a journal," junior Jorie Struck said. "In high school, it is hard to decide what you want to do with your life and this presentation has helped me on what to do to decide by setting goals and spreading kindness."
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"I think this will be good for our community," said Cleve Sexton, an Ore City senior who plans to be part of the group. "We have a lot of people who get picked on and who aren't treated right. Hopefully this will start a chain reaction."
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"We have spoken to people from other districts who have seen this program in their schools, and it's very powerful," he said. "The message that the kids get out of it is to try and make a difference everyday in a better way," Swanson said.
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Today, at Dawson High School in Pearland, a victim of the shootings is having an impact. "I feel inspired to be a better person" Student Joanne Bruno said.
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"I hope that a presentation like this inspires people to take a kinder, more compassionate approach in life," Ms. Kinne said. "And hopefully things like Columbine can stop happening."
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"I believe in what Rachel thought," she said. "I'm going to start a chain reaction just by being nicer to people at school and being more respectful of people."
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Mannix Leach, 12, a seventh-grader, said he now considers Rachel a role model. "She was a great person because she helped people reach their dreams," he said.
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"We really want to see a strong showing of support by the community," said DiLorenzo. "The message is very clear that how you see and treat others is very important."
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"It made me feel like I ought to drop all my grudges and just love everybody,'' she said. Sophomore Kadejha Russell said she is going to change the way she talks to people and stop judging.
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Rachel's Challenge was so successful last year, students, faculty and community members will again be able to learn about eliminating prejudice and choosing positive influences when the non-violence program returns next month.
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Rachel kept a journal, many of her writings focusing on how one act of kindness can impact someone in a major way. She also shared a vision of one person going out of their way and how it can start a chain reaction.
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Rachel's Challenge presenter Todd Lauderdale talks about the similarities between Rachel Scott, right, and Ann Frank during presentation at Glendale High School on Wednesday.
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Students listened to stories about Rachel, but also life lessons that were demonstrated in her life: appreciating everyone and mocking no one, treating others the way you would want to be treated, and spreading "positive gossip" about people...
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Rhea Elementary is off to a "Rockin" year and the students were eager to show it at the recent Rachel's Challenge Kick Off!
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"It really opens your eyes," said Hannah Bogue, a seventh-grader. "You've got to take every moment you have ... and soak it in. You don't know what's going to happen next. Always leave a good impression."
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This award-winning program, based in Littleton, Colo., and founded by Darrell Scott, Rachel's father, has reached 11,000,000 people in 50 states and six countries. It has prevented numerous suicides, drastically reduced bullying, and in three known...
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"I can honestly say from my heart that the students from Marshfield High School have been empowered," she said through tears. "From my perspective of being a Marshfield teacher and resident, I'm looking forward to a great future."
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Junior Taylor Overman said the presentation was inspiring. "I think it is just so strange how obviously her life was planned out. She obviously had a meaning towards everything that she's done," Overman said.
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"It's great to start the school year with this message of kindness and compassion," said Angela J. Mass, Student Council adviser at the high school.
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"There are 30 speakers in all that travel nationwide to talk about the tragedy, but also (to ask) what can we learn from what happened," OGMS Guidance Counselor Cathy Glass said.
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Principal Ron McCarthy said that the school has started a chapter of the Friends of Rachel club and he believes that Scott's impact on the student body will be a lasting one. He was impressed by the throngs of students who showed up later in the day...
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Dare said the message is powerful and hopes more people are able to attend this year, adding she isn't worried about snow this time around. "I hope," she said, "we pack the house this time."
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"This is not about what you wear, it's not about the kids you hang out with. It's about who you are," Kayla said. "In people you realize that life is important. If you don't live it now, there is no going back, there is no second chance..."
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Now, Samantha said she wants to make sure nothing like that happens again - a goal she hopes is accomplished with today's presentation of "Rachel's Challenge."
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"To me this is what education is all about. It's giving our students all the basics they need to move forward. It is education, but ultimately it is about life," Francis said.
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"I want to dedicate this (program's) message to Abdiel Morales," Clevenger said. "... I want to tell him I love him and miss him. Everybody needs to let their friends and family members know that they matter to them."
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The initial introduction to Rachel's Challenge is very emotional and gives many details about the day of the shooting. The second year emphasizes Rachel's legacy and how her story inspired so many people to be part of the chain reaction.
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Charles has experienced the Rachel's Challenge program, and said it is a life-changing experience. "It is overwhelming," she said. "By the end of the presentation, I was crying my eyes out. It just made me want to run out and do something for someone."
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"It seems so simple when you think about it - just being nice," said Shana Delmonico, guidance counselor and Rachel Club adviser. "But as a campus of 3,000 students, that focus can be lost. The assembly really bonded the campus."
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So far, the students' response, by many reports, has been overwhelming. Many youth have been moved to tears and deeply inspired by the message and some are carrying it home to share with parents.
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Students signed up for more training and others signed a poster saying they would take on at least five challenges. Asked which she would tackle, Normal West student Sara Motsinger replied, "All of them."
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Students and teachers wiped away tears as they listened. When it was over, a line of students waited to greet Scott.
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'Rachel's Challenge' mission statement is "We exist to inspire, equip and empower every person to create a permanent positive culture change in their school, business and community by starting a chain reaction of kindness and compassion."
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"You could see the change in the audience," she said. "It made me proud when I had the chance to help a classmate that lost her brother suddenly last year, but it also makes you realize there is more that can be done..."
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"I really think that because we're shown somebody who's our age that actually made a difference in their lives, that this will affect us," said Ishpeming sophomore, Alina Karuzas.
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Scott's message of spreading kindness and breaking down barriers has never been as loud and her goal of challenging others to live a happier, friendlier life was heard firsthand by those at Maloney High School Wednesday morning during a presentation...
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Teachers and students at Webb set the goal of doing 2,000 of those small acts of kindness this semester. Each grade was assigned a different color and when students act kindly they add a construction paper link in that color to the school's chain.
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He also said she believed her life would impact thousands of others. Judging by the standing ovation Kutztown students gave her message on Monday and the hugs Scott received afterward, Rachel will never know how right she was.
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"They are the ambassadors for perpetuating the mission of spreading compassion and kindness throughout the school," said Collins. "They've done a lot of great stuff and they've really taken hold of how to better transition eighth graders..."
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Principal Diane Russell was pleased with the number of students who stayed after the rally to hear about joining the Friends of Rachel Club. She estimated about 75 percent stayed.
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"Children at home are talking about it," she said, noting an anecdote a parent told her. On the way home from a soccer practice, a child said to another, "I don't think the other team knew about Rachel's Challenge because they were not very nice."
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Rachael's Challenge is continuously working to inspire a positive response in communities like Binghamton, trying to heal from extremely difficult situations.
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"We have 153 documented e-mails from students that said they were planning to commit suicide and told us their lives have changed because of our program. We know of seven school shootings that have been prevented."
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It brought students and staff together, connecting them beyond what he thought possible, he says. "Students that I had never seen acknowledge each other - let alone talk to each other - were supporting each other and having conversations."
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One of the most memorable moments at the academy was a speech by Craig Scott, one of the survivors of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, the students said. Scott, who lost his sister, Rachel Scott, and many friends in the tragic event...
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After thousands of nominees from across the United States and Canada were narrowed to 90 finalists... The Colorado Rockies' "All-Star" is Darrell Scott of Littleton, Colo., chosen by fans across the nation for starting a nonprofit that inspires students..
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...she teamed up with Freetown-Lakeville Middle School Friends of Rachel Club to collect six overflowing boxes of animal supplies and $267 to donate to the Lakeville Animal Shelter.
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Christine Schexnayder, a 15-year-old Leadership Academy participant from Lutcher, said Scott had spoken at her school not long ago. Afterward, she said, the school changed for the better. "Talking about his family and how his sister stood up...
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The first Rachel's Rally in Bonham schools was held May of this year and they had a full gym. The chain reaction for the Bonham students had 12,550 links representing one (1) act of kindness. This has allowed the students to recognize...
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A survivor of the Columbine school shooting spoke at Nicholls State University today, challenging his audience of young women to emphasize compassion in their lives.
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In school, she was involved in Rachel's Challenge and Junior Admissions. Rachel's Challenge is a nationwide organization devoted to make high schools less 'cliquey' and more friendly.
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From collecting 145 pairs of eyeglasses for those unable to afford them to helping new students feel welcome, the Friends of Rachel chapter at Follansbee Middle School took on a variety of projects in its first year.
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Many took to the program with great enthusiasm, bringing along some positive changes that endured throughout the school year, Scholl noticed. Rachel's Challenge served as a positive experience at McParland, culminating in last week's chain link event..
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...Superintendent Scott Lampinen welcomed everyone to the first Rachel's Challenge Field Day and said, "Notice I did indeed say first annual. This is the first, so we've got more to come."
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"Our goal back then was to create (a chain) link from the Annex to the main site," Borgeson said. From here, he's hoping that the Rachel's Challenge will create that rippling effect, continuing next year and beyond. "This is a life-long challenge...
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Bennion Junior High School accepted Rachel's challenge with some phenomenal results. On Thursday, May 21, students produced evidence of how the entire school climate has been affected by the challenge.
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Once the chain is linked up, the students will parade around the field on the main campus while holding on to the colorful cards "to see the full length of it," Borgeson said. "It will be exciting to see how long it is because we have a lot students...
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Teenage girls wearing black pants and black lipstick ran to embrace their friends, who in turn squeezed them back tighter and began to cry. Parents hugged children sitting nearby and passed around tissues so their burly, athletic sons could dry their..
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They spent about a month collecting 48 teddy bears - each with their own birth certificates, made personally by 7 and 8 graders at the school - to donate to sick kids at the hospital. Operation Teddy Bear started with the schools' Friends of Rachel...
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"Throughout history, stories have been the catalysts for change," said Rachel's Challenge chief executive officer Rob Unger. "Rachel's story creates an intense personal response and makes people want to connect to each other and to do something."
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More than 100,000 of the figures, called Kindness and Compassion Friends, were presented at the rally, carried into the cavernous sanctuary strung on frames.
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"You would see kids would push in chairs for teachers and help teachers with whatever they needed." Nick Follmer, 14, said he thought the atmosphere at the school improved when students were trying to be kind.
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The challenges Craig Scott presented in "Rachel's Legacy" were to respond to the needs of others: appreciate people and let them know; be a "first initiator" be a "see-through-er" not a "look-at-er" and start your own legacy.
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...this was exercise in kindness and compassion. That's the mission of "Rachel's Challenge" -- a program named after Rachel Scott who was the first victim in the Columbine massacre. The Gibbon students hoped for a chain reaction.
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"I believe Rachel was treating others in the way she wanted to be treated," said Nowlen. "People sometimes think she was perfect, but in her writings she talked about her ups and downs too. She just always knew she wanted to make an impact on the world."
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Prepare to be inspired as San Diego entrepreneurs and philanthropists come together for an evening dedicated to raising support and awareness for the Rachel's Challenge Foundation...
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The Century High Rachel's Challenge members said they also traveled to nine other schools in Rochester, hoping to start a "chain reaction."
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"It has been an inspiration to be involved with Rachel's Challenge the past two years," says Bre Kluck, a Century senior. "We have not only spread kindness throughout our own school, but expanded Rachel's legacy...
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Today over 2,000 students gathered at Bonham High School to remember Rachel and celebrate her life. They made over 17,000 kindness links, written messages about good deeds. Those messages are eventually linked together.
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So why don't we start by taking baby steps. I recently learned of a grassroots approach called Rachel's Challenge, named after Rachel Scott, the first victim of the Columbine shootings. The motive of the program is how to teach acts of kindness...
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This compelling presentation had some audience members wiping away tears. Unlike most school programs, you could have heard a pin drop. The cornerstones of Rachel's Challenge include eliminating prejudice from your life, keeping a journal and keeping...
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The challenge asks students to eliminate prejudice and choose positive influences. Hundreds of local high school students attended as the nationwide tour made a stop in the Valley.
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In partnership with Rachel's Challenge, in August 2008, the Bonham Independent School District began a kindergarten through 12th grade kindness and compassion initiative. The over-arching goal of the program is to show students that ONE act of kindness..
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"As a parent and as a community member, on behalf of a lot of this, this is a great program," Greg Beauchamp said. "This is fantastic to have in our schools. If we expect kids to show kindness and compassion, we have got to teach it to them."
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"The kids in Friends of Rachel are wonderful, dynamic and self-motivated. When you give them an idea, they run with it," said Sue Toolin, a guidance counselor and eighth-grade Friends of Rachel adviser.
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Burton noted that this year, "we have a 7 percent increase in relationship of their feedback to us as relates to safety at school and being a place of respect. All the comments are about Rachel's Challenge."
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"I would really like to treat others a lot better than I have been," Jerrica White, another Belleville Henderson junior added. "I know I'm not going to be here forever and it's really going to make an impact on other people if I'm positive towards them...
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On Wednesday, the school's 600 students stretched the chain around the block as a helicopter hovered overhead, taking aerial pictures. Michele Rebert, a parent, smiled as she watched children stretch the chain down the sidewalk. "It inspires me...
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Middle school students are organizing the dance. Rather than planning a night of fun for themselves and their friends, seventh- and eighth-graders in the Friends of Rachel Club are reaching out to get senior citizens out on the dance floor.
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As part of the latter point, he entered fully in the kindness and compassion program Rachel's Challenge, and helped lead expansion of the program into the elementary levels, where it had not existed before.
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...created a sculpture with materials from the recycle bin and the community service group Friends of Rachel offered yard cleanup services to two families in town.
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"We were just floored," Young said. "The program was just amazing." Young said a few students actually asked if they could be taken to apologize to another student they had picked on earlier in the day.
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...whether or not they targeted specific people or wanted to kill everyone, does not and should not take away from the memoriam of the victims, and it definitely doesn't take away from the amazingly positive outcome that is Rachel's Challenge.
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More than 200 people gathered on the La Quinta High School football field to create a human peace symbol to represent tolerance, peace and equality. The event was organized by Friends of Rachel, a La Quinta High nonprofit community service club.
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PSHS Principal Patricia Connors worked valiantly in order to obtain the program for her students. She felt it would make a tremendous impact on the entire PSHS community and said this goal was achieved.
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A group of six students at La Quinta High School are challenging themselves, promising to spread kindness and become positive role models. They are following the path set by Rachel Scott.
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Friends of Rachel at La Quinta High strives to create a chain reaction of kindness by promoting tolerance.
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The school audience was silent as they were ushered through the emotional journey of the slain teenager. Powerful video footage of the actual event was coupled with essays and diary entries written by Rachel herself.
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Rachel's Challenge has seen such a positive response in the K-12 education world that the organization has decided to expand to provide programs for colleges and for corporations to spread even more kindness and compassion.
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Scott told co-anchor Harry Smith he's "taken what's happened, and taken the story of myself and my sister into schools with a program that my family started, called Rachel's Challenge. And we've seen an immense amount of good come from that program...
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She now speaks in schools across North America as part of a non-profit group called Rachel's Challenge. "It's about treating others as you would like to be treated and it's a very universal message."
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Rep. Ken Summers, R-Lakewood, drew attention to the organizations - such as Rachel's Challenge, named after slain student Rachel Scott - that have sprung up to advocate peace and compassion following the tragedy.
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That's when he brought the national program "Rachel's challenge" to the school. Rachel Scott was a Columbine student who spoke out against bullying and encouraged kindness - she was the first person shot and killed at the school.
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"When I saw the documentary on Rachel, I wanted to be like her," Beatriz said. "I wanted to change everything, I wanted to do so many things to change the world ... by doing little things to make a difference in the world.
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Next time when he is driving to a job and some impatient driver wants to cut in front of him, Mr. Garnett said he would back off and wave the driver in. The courtesy and compassion would come back, he said. "It just goes around," Mr. Garnett said.
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His decision to stop "portraying a tough guy and show more kindness" came after he heard about Rachel's Challenge - a program that has impacted millions of people around the world.
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It aims to "motivate viewers to truly consider the way they treat others," according to a news release.
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Rachel's story is shared with as many as 80,000 - 140,000 students a week in live school settings around the country, inspiring and challenging them to become leaders among their peers and practically implementing positive change...
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At the end of the Rachel's Challenge Assembly, almost 500 students committed to carrying out the challenge, and a large portion of the student body left in tears.
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"It's incredibly powerful. It teaches youths how to respect and be kind to one another, how to be better students and better citizens and have a better overall way of life," Pinto said. "I think it's important that the whole community buys into it...
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"These kids are driven, I would say, in their beliefs of the change they can make," Felten Counselor Jo Dare said. The students who came Monday took turns telling the board how the program has affected their lives.
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The Friends of Rachel chapter at Dickinson High School is coordinating a Suitcases for Kids fundraiser for the Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Center.
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...two of the girls indicating that their mother was their role model with young Ms. Wheeler suggesting that Rachel Joy Scott, the first person killed at the Columbine High School massacre in 1999 was hers.
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My hero is Rachel Joy Scott. I never knew her, never talked to her, never laughed, cried, or joked with her. Her story, though, is what makes her unique.
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High School Principal Kevin Shanley said the program has received positive reaction from the students so far. "It's certainly making them reflect on the things they do and how they affect other people," he said.
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"We were really impacted as a whole by what we saw," student council member Lucas Turner said. "Afterward, we all signed a banner to recognize that we had accepted Rachel's Challenge."
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"I got a call around 3 p.m. [on Tuesday] from my daughter who said 'I love you,'" said parent Crissa DuCharme. "At first I thought, 'OK she wants something,' but then she said, 'Mom, there is something you have to come to tonight,' so I changed my plans..
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[This] program had been "very helpful. [This] program involves strategies to combat bullying. Evans addressed the board and noted that the 07-08 school years was a "low point for discipline" but that this year there has been a drastic change.
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"A few years ago, we were at a leadership conference in Boise and I had a few students that had attended the Rachel's Challenge session and they were so impressed and impacted by what they'd seen and what they'd heard," said Amy Bowie, Student...
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"It was evident our students felt the impact," he said. There was a profoundly attentive stillness in each of the presentations. 19-year-old Meghan Perea sat tearful in the front row during the evening event. "It's amazing how one person can...
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Last night, lots of people (including me!) gathered at The Idaho Center to hear more about Rachel's Challenge. It's a program about kindness and compassion that's impacted thousands of Idaho students this month alone in our schools.
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The kids were changed forever, Fisgus said. "It hit the kids hard," he said. "It changed the atmosphere of the school. We wanted to make it a community thing, and over 1,000 community members came to the assembly that evening. There wasn't a dry eye."
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"You do not really understand how powerful the program is until you sit through it with your students and staff members." Within two days of the assembly, she received many letters and emails from teachers and students explaining how the assemblies...
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It will be 10 years in April since the Columbine killings. It rocked schools across the country. But here on the Shore, students have found a way to turn tragedy into triumph.
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Signal Knob Middle school students are taking part in a program titled Rachel's Challenge. Rachel Scott was a victim of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting. Rachel's Challenge teaches random acts of kindness and was started by her parents...
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"It's hard to not be affected by it," Lewis said. "It just makes you realize that Columbine can happen anywhere, and even the smallest threats have to be taken seriously. We want to spread the word to prevent violence in schools."
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"Walking up and helping one person. Just picking them up in the hallways or saying hi can make a person's life. It can change their day or make a difference and change how they see the world," says Hayes. This program goes beyond just the words...
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Mansfield even donated her first 100 rings to Rachel's Challenge, a program started by Darrell Scott in memory of his daughter Rachel Scott, who was the first student killed at Columbine High School. Rachel's Challenge educates students in kindergarten...
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Darrell said that his group had received at least 100 e-mails from students who decided that they wouldn't end their lives because of what they learned and experienced through his organization. During the 90-minute presentation, some students cried...
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These volunteers will learn how to sustain the momentum created by the assembly. The assembly creates the "want to" or desire for positive change. The training session teaches the "how to" and ensures that the positive impact will continue.
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"How do you fight anger and hatred other than by kindness, respect and compassion?"
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"It really teaches you to really look at what you have right now and in one second it could be gone, so you should really look around and see what you have and who you have with you," said senior Segan Millard.
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More than 3,700 students in grades 9-12 will participate in Rachel's Challenge assemblies throughout March. One of the district's middle school's, East Valley, held an assembly and five elementary schools are using the Rachel's Challenge elementary...
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...Rachel's Challenge, which Adams said has had a tremendous impact on the climate at McFarland. "Rachel Scott was one of the first kids killed at Columbine," he said. "As a 15 year old, she was a tremendous influence at the time...
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By the end of the event, members of the audience were in tears, stood up and gave a standing ovation. "It was phenomenal, the love, care and compassion she showed is something I hope to emulate in my own life," said sophomore Nick Elledge.
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"I'll probably be nicer to my family because I sometimes yell at my sister," said Danielle Frei, Freshman, Marsh Valley High School. "I gained a perspective. I don't really make fun of people, but I poke fun and I think that I should not do that,"...
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"But you have no idea how big it is for us and how much it means." The 1,000 cranes came about as part of a new school club, called Rachel's Challenge.
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The campaign will continue at 43 other schools in the Treasure Valley, Twin Falls and Pocatello areas. The campaign will conclude with a march for youth, community and family night at the Idaho Center. It's free to the public and all ages are welcome.
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All involved are praising Rachel's Challenge for the inspiring story and overall message of compassion it brought to students and the community as a whole. "It was fantastic," Tymko said, wiping the tears from her eyes as students...
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Cathy Tymko, principal of the Edward Schreyer School, attended a Rachel's Challenge presentation led by Scott's father, Darrell Scott. She was so moved, impressed, and inspired by the presentation she decided to try to bring it to our community...
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This student assembly, as well as the evening presentation, includes speakers and features a powerful video/audio footage of Rachel's life. The assembly encourages individuals to be kind, considerate, tolerant and accepting of all individuals.
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"Students connect with her life, accept her challenges and model her behavior. The program creates real sustainable momentum through kindness and compassion."
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The anniversary of the shootings is April 20. Scott, 59, has made his late daughter's story an international movement, reaching millions of people worldwide through books, films, documentaries, TV shows and speeches.
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Yes, it did happen. Yes, it could have been prevented. Let's turn the tables and talk about how we treat people because the two young men who did it were mistreated by a lot of their classmates, Nowlen said.
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When students do something nice, teachers record it on a construction paper link that becomes part of a "chain reaction" of kindness and compassion. At the end of the school year, the campus chains will be joined together. Rollins ordered 110,000 links...
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O'Connell said Rachel Scott's challenge to be respectful, considerate and to see the positive qualities in others is an "inspiring, meaningful and moving message."
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But there was one message he wanted them to remember above the others. "To treat other people the way we want to be treated. It's the golden rule in action," Scott said.
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Student Mike St. Clair agreed with him, noting that he would have to take some time to really absorb it all. "It makes you think about being thankful for the friends you have," he said. "It is a really powerful story."
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Sophomore Hannah Gould agrees. "I think this was just showing us that people are people and we all have feelings to just show a little kindness it goes a long way."
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"Having the programs definitely makes the children more aware of the social issues that are in their community," Ms. Santos said. "The fact that they could contribute in any way or help their peers is gratifying, and it empowers them to help others."
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Carroll ISD fights back against bullying, adopting Rachel's Challenge
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Rachel Scott was the first person to be killed at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. Her acts of kindness and compassion, coupled with the contents of her six diaries, have become the foundation for one of the most life-changing school programs...
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Scott continues to carry the message of her younger sister's vision that acts of kindness can cause a chain reaction that ultimately can change the world. Secondary schools across the country now use Rachel Scott's five challenges to become safer...
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The Ernie Davis Middle School Friends of Rachel Club is working on two projects. The group is making buttons for the National No-Name Calling week...
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The overall culture of the school has been getting better, Theresa Pallotta added, and although it still takes place, student Sarah Haigh said the incidents of bullying have been on the decline at Hanover High.
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Powerful audio/video footage of Rachel's Challenge holds students spellbound during a one-hour school presentation that motivates them to positive change in the way they treat others. This is followed by a 45-minute training session involving both...
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It is one of the most powerful moments I have witnessed in my work as a school psychologist. Freshman to seniors, boys, girls, in-crowd, out-crowd, black, brown, white - all were rapt with attention, touched at the right moments and respectful throughout.
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Rockwall ISD is in their second year of the program at all their campus and told the Carroll anti-bullying committee that they have seen improvements across the board.
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When middle school students exited the auditorium at Hayden High School on Wednesday morning, they immediately lined up to pledge their devotion to the ideals of a girl they will never meet.
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After her death, the boy told her family that Scott had saved his life by intervening, because he had planned on committing suicide that night until she showed that someone cared about him.
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"The way we treat people really does matter, it is these little acts of kindness that can really change things. We are not asking these students to do these big projects...
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"Confidence, motivation, and making their school a better place. And knowing that accidents and tragedies can happen anywhere and we need to learn from them," says Des Lacs Principal Karen Groninger.
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The challenge is based on the writings of Rachel Scott, the first victim of the Columbine High School shootings in 1999 in Littleton.
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This assembly has been seen by many schools throughout the country and I believe it has affected a lot of people my age. This assembly really showed me now you shouldn't take life for granted, and you should never judge anyone by the first impression.
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Kilgore, using words from Rachel Scott's writings, reminded the students that kind words and acts of kindness are important because "you don't know what that person is going through." He also urged them that by being kind to others and setting goals...
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Scott was the first person killed at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. Her diaries fit the messages King preached to the country.
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Amanda Simonetti, 18, a senior who also said she was shy, agreed. "The first thing you think about is your family," she said. After hearing the first presentation, she found her younger sister, also a Port Jervis student, and told her that she loved her.
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Her acts of kindness and compassion coupled with the contents of her six diaries have become the foundation for one of the most life-changing school programs in America.
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Entertainers, politicians, sports celebrities, educators and even two...U.S. presidents have been affected by Rachel's Challenge. However, students comprise the target audience, and they have proven they will respond with positive words, attitudes, and...
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For the Friends of Rachel Club from Burger Middle School in Henrietta which collected eyeglasses and sunglasses for children in need. Doctors will match the glasses to children unable to see...
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...her acts of kindness and compassion coupled with the contents of her six diaries have become the foundation for some of the most life-changing school programs in America.
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He challenged students to take on Rachel's Challenge, which focuses on improving school climate based on compassion and eliminating prejudice.
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Rachel's Challenge, a program based on the ideals of Columbine shooting victim Rachel Scott, came to Bedford High School and inspired students to start a local Rachel's Challenge group.
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He challenged students to take on Rachel’s Challenge, which focuses on improving school climate based on compassion and eliminating prejudice. Following the presentation, LHS students signed the promise banner, which hangs at the school.
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Almost ten years later, her acts of kindness and compassion coupled with the contents of her six diaries have become the foundation for some of the most life-changing school programs in America.
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He asked them to hold weekly meetings, to form groups who will welcome new students, befriend the friendless, be the ones who make a difference.
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Rachel's Challenge was created in honor of Rachel Scott, who was killed in the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999. Approximately 1.75 million students experienced Rachel's Challenge in 2008.
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"Let's be the ones, let's be the group that helps everybody else out, who says I'm going to put my needs, my wants to the side, and try to reach out to somebody else. I mean if this girl can do it then why can't I," Cody Hodges tells the students.
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Based on Rachel Scott's definition of compassion - forgiving, loving, helping, leading and showing mercy for others - Rachel's Challenge is made up of five challenges.
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"It only takes one person to begin a chain reaction of kindness." The message is integral to the Rachel's Challenge program which Rockwall ISD has adopted as a philosophy for teaching and encouraging compassion.
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"I think the principles are applicable to everyone, I think that is why I was impressed from the start, I could relate," Argyle said. "We can always have a little more kindness and tolerance in the world. We can all be the one to start the chain reaction.
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She is helping set up "Friends of Rachel," a group of students who will help their peers learn how to welcome others into a group and intervene when they see bullying.
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Since Scott's death, she has been recognized by singers Elton John and Dave Matthews, U.S. President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Bush and former U.S. President Bill Clinton. She has had over 30 books written about her life, two television document...
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He was so moved by what he found that he later wrote a promise to himself, "Your death will not be in vain." His promise was the genesis of what has become a worldwide program that clings to Rachel Scott's beliefs and goals.
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That man and Scott's father became good friends and have worked to spread this and other stories of that day that show Rachel's effect on more than 11 million people they and Hills have talked to.
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Guymon ISD is teaming up with the strongest man in America to tell a heroic story that came out of the tragedy at Columbine.
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"I'm not going to pick on people for how they look, I'm not going to judge them for how they look," said 8th grader Ernest Edmond. 8th grader Wesley Innocent said, "I'm going to start being nice and telling people to be nice to people because you...
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Middletown schools this week will host the Rachel's Challenge program, designed to encourage positive change in schools and communities.
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A girl new to the private school was having trouble making friends, so Rachel's Friends baked a cake for her birthday, Hannah said. Students also have held pizza parties for new students. Junior Andy Halvorson remembers a shy, unhappy boy...
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The combination of the programs has had an overwhelming effect at EFJHS, on the students, parents and faculty. "Rachel's story is moving and adults and kids respond in the same manner," Miller said. "It's a tearful experience."
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Nearly three months after accepting Rachel's Challenge to start a chain reaction of kindness, students across the Dodge City school district are reaching out to their peers and community.
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Her brother, Craig Scott, of Littleton, Colo., will be at North Warren Regional High School in Blairstown tonight to speak about Rachel's Challenge, a nonviolence program created in her honor that focuses on kindness and compassion.
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The students watched a one hour video on the challenge, which aims to motivate them to treat others with respect.
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The message was multifaceted but clear: Reach out to those you don't know with kindness, and to those you are already close with, reaffirm your feelings. "I think we have a challenge of seeing the world from others' eyes, seeing what situation people..
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Rachel's Challenge, a multi-media presentation designed to encourage kindness and compassion, will be coming to Freetown-Lakeville schools for the second year.
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"I shook his hand and said thank you because it meant a lot to me." He's just one of thousands of students who feel that way.. And part of a positive step in the fight against violence in schools....
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Rachel's Challenge promotes the universal message of kindness and compassion. It will be presented to students in two assemblies...
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The Ernie Davis Middle School Friends of Rachel Club, a local school group affiliated with the national Rachel's Challenge club, is collecting food donations of cereal and Jell-O for their local Salvation Army Christmas Day food baskets...
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The challenges he'll be making include: choose positive influences; show compassion; make a difference with kind words and small acts of kindness; eliminate prejudice by looking for the best in others; and tell five people you care about them.
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"The message was very clear and powerful,'' said Pam Fasullo, executive director of CK Victim Services. "Hopefully it will help reduce the bullying and other acts of violence in our school community.''
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Michelle Martinez, who with her fellow White River Prevention Team members are overseeing the project, said the assembly and the follow-up program is said to be incredibly powerful. "The kids are pumped up about this...
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"It shows the commitment of our students to the ideals Rachel stood for and espoused during her life," said Brooks. "This is a real tangible kind of a commitment."
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"This is going to give them an opportunity to be more than just a student," said Roger Rice, a teacher at Leesburg High School and the program's organizer. "It can transform them into a school culture that cares about the community."
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Several Friends of Rachel will speak to their younger counterparts and bring Rachel's message to those who were not able to experience the full program.
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It was sitting the cafetorium last week that I realized this child, Rachel, was far beyond her years in understanding the important stuff and that life is as good as you make it.
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"Before Rachel's Challenge, there was a lot of bullying going on in school," noted Eric Bauman, 13, a Friends of Rachel member at St. Brigid/Our Lady of Hope. "After the club started up, a lot of people sat with other people (at lunch) and became friends.
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"She was a normal teenager, she didn't do anything big, she'd say don't put her on a pedestal. But you know what? She didn't give up. She believed she was going to reach the world," said Larry Scott...
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"It made everyone check themselves, it's incredible how many people ended up in tears. We forget how much we have an impact on other people," Cassi Crouse said. "All you have to do is walk down the hall and smile and ask others how their day is."
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Rachel's Uncle, Larry Scott, said, "The basic principle of life is kindness...Sometimes we forget it. Kindness will always turn them around."
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Those challenges can impact positive outcomes in academic improvement, higher attendance levels, less bullying, less dropouts and a friendly atmosphere.
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Hickman said several districts have started bullying prevention programs like one in Norman, where administrators have implemented Rachel's Challenge, named after Rachel Scott, the first student killed at Columbine High School in 1999.
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Haverling Middle School students accept Rachel's Challenge by signing a banner that will be displayed at the school as a visual reminder of the international antibullying campaign.
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Hudson High School students sign a banner as a pledge to accept the challenge after viewing "Rachel's Challenge," a multi-media presentation inspired by the writings of Rachel Scott...
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The students that watched the presentation walked away teary eyed. Two students saying that it really impacted them and has inspired them to live better lives.
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"I've already noticed a change, not only with myself but with other students. The shy people kind of came out of their closet today," said Neu. And because of Rachel, day by day, more students will do the same.
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Kayla Urrutia, President of Friends of Rachel Team says, "Our mission is to promote kindness and start a chain reaction of kindness and respect and pretty much love within our school, just a happy kindness."
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Seventh-grader Ambrosia Johnson said she didn't really care much about others being bullied, but since reading Rachel's work, she wants to be more compassionate. Ryan Parker said he will make it a priority to stick up for peers when they are picked on.
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"We need to be kind to others and pay it forward," says Bob Felice, principal at Falcon Middle School, "we need to look for opportunities to treat people right."
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Interim middle school principal William Marston said a program like the challenge is important for middle school students because it's such a "huge transition." "They are really beginning to deal with who they are, the kind of people they want to become,"
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"It was really touching to see that someone's dreams can still make an impact on people," said sophomore Cassie Fisher. "It's inspired me to write down my goals and made me think about the way some people are treated."
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"I was so moved when I first saw the program," she said. "I felt that the message was very simple, but very powerful. It inspires people to step forward to have goals and be mindful of how they speak to people."
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In what amounts to true testimony of the power in acts of kindness and compassion, Rachel Scott's life and the contents of six diaries she left behind arguably have since become the foundation for "one of the most life-changing school programs in America.
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"...at times when testing, performance and getting into college seems to be sometimes the only focus," Gibbs said. "I'm really proud that [we're] focusing on character and integrity. I think this is a tremendous opportunity."
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The goal of the presentation is to motivate students to make a positive change in the way they treat others. Rachel's Challenge is one of the largest assemblies in the country and will be presented to more than 2 million students this year.
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Mardela is participating in Rachel's Challenge this year, an initiative to inspire students to bring positive change to their high school. It is named after Rachel Joy Scott, the first victim of the Columbine School massacre in 1999.
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"At the end of the year, our hope is to have this chain link extend from the annex to the main site, and wrapped several times around,"...
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"Rachel's Challenge" encourages students to treat each other in a positive way, and hopes to start a chain reaction of helping others.
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About 120 students from the Leadership Council and World of Difference will go through a special training program designed to sustain the momentum created by the assembly. It includes activities for them to do with their classmates throughout the year.
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One could have heard a pin drop Wednesday as students listened to a presentation, "Rachel's Challenge" built around Rachel Joy Scott, the first student killed during the 1999 Columbine School shootings in Colorado.
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Year 2 is a follow-up from the previous year. Like Rachel Scott, these students will be encouraged to recognize their full potential and significance in life along with how to create their own legacy under these new sets of challenge.
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"One mom told me her son was so shy he had trouble making friends until students inspired by Rachel's Challenge went out of their way to welcome him," said Jalbert. "A PTO mom reported some North Andover High kids came up to her daughter and apologized...
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How could I write about the smiles and waves that I saw between kids who just the day before had been bitter enemies? An ordinary news article would not do this program justice, because Rachel's Challenge is not your ordinary high school program.
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Midey believes that Scott did more in her 17 years for the human spirit than most have. "This presentation is not just for our schools; it is for our community," said Midey, who previously worked at Romulus.
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"Our school needed something like this to tell kids not to bully one another," said Wilkins, of Evergreen Park. "It most definitely will change my actions. There are some people I can say different things to when I see them."
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In 2007, more than 1.25 million students world-wide experienced Rachel’s Challenge, and by the end of this year, the number is expected to reach 1.7 million. The Scott family has spoken to more than 10 million people and have reached millions more by...
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"Rachel's Challenge is a program that can change your life and the lives of your neighbors. We are happy to share this message beyond the walls of our schools to make our community the best place to be in Lincoln County," she said.
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The three schools have joined thousands of others in the U.S. and several other countries in adopting the Rachel's Challenge program, which encourages students to help and support their peers as individuals and in groups.
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Mr. Trietley said he heard about the program last year and immediately sought out ways to bring it to Olean. "One of my goals coming into this year was to definitely have Rachel's Challenge," he said. "It's very difficult to find good assemblies."
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"I'm just going to give people a chance from now on and try to be kind to everyone," said student Stephanie Killen as she walked out of the auditorium. "Rachel just showed that she impacted people's lives and I want to do the same."
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"The students were moved. They climbed right on board," Mr. Branagan stated. Rachel was a person who favored equality. She did not like to see other people picked on, and she trusted people very easily. She composed an essay entitled "My Ethics...
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...in the speech competition and chose the subject "What does it take to be a hero." Having been chosen last year to lead the Warm Springs Middle School sixth grade Rachel's Challenge organization, she was inspired to choose Rachel Joy Scott as her hero.
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Through the "Friends of Rachel" program, a network of schools gets involved by helping others. South Pointe Assistant Principal Jean Chung was sent an e-mail alerting her that two of these schools were in need of assistance.
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"All it takes is just one person to really make that chain reaction," eighth-grader Jeffrey Crooks said, "and soon, you'll have a whole chain of people who are willing to help."
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The school's principal of 14 years, Joseph L. Ruddy, chose the program after hearing about it when the Gouverneur district had it last year. He said it fits well with this year's school theme: civility.
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According to a spokesperson at Rachel's Challenge, the school program founded by Mr. Scott has prevented numerous suicides, drastically reduced bullying, and in three known instances in 2007 alone prevented a planned school shooting.
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"This is the perfect place for it (the kindness challenge) to start," she added. Led by Assistant Principal Lisa Nazzaro, students will now form a Friends of Rachel club and brainstorm ways to fulfill their promise. Vera said the assembly had already..
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