On April 20th 1999, Rachel Scott was the first victim killed at the Columbine High School tragedy. She was 17 years old.
In the midst of an awful experience it is hard to have a positive outlook, it is even harder to try and inspire others. However, Rachel’s father was able to do just that.
Just a short time after his daughter was killed, Darrell Scott began speaking about the need to create a kinder and more compassionate national climate. He was inspired by his daughter’s diaries, which contained drawings and writings about her own personal philosophy. She believed that one person’s act of kindness could start a chain reaction. They call it Rachel’s Challenge, an eye opening presentation that will be coming to Region 16 on October 7-10th.
Last year, the idea to bring Rachel’s Challenge to the district was presented to the Region 16 Prevention Task Force by district staff and parents who had heard about the program. Trish Spofford, a member of the Task Force, streamlined the process of bring Rachel’s Challenge to the district.
“I helped organize a presentation that we did for the Board of Education,” explained Spofford. “Once the Board approved funding the project, it was just a matter of working with Rachel’s Challenge to organize the event.”
A Rachel’s Challenge presentation will be given in each school during the school day. The presentation is modified for each grade level, but each one is based on the concepts of a 5 step plan to initiate kindness and compassion to spark a chain reaction.
After the presentations, Rachel’s Challenge provides each school with supplies to start a Friends of Rachel(FOR) Club. The FOR clubs will work to keep the chain reaction started from the presentation alive in their school.
Two variations presentations will also be open to members of the community. There will be a presentation at Woodland on October 7th at 6:30 and another presentation on October 9th at Long River at 6:30. The goal of the event is to unify our individual schools, but as well as the district and the community.
“I”m hoping that this event will really empower young people,” said Region 16 Superintendent Michael Yamin. “I think it will be used to build a more emotionally intelligent , compassionate and caring student body and community.”
