Jan. 01, 2012

Rachel Scott was the first person 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 Rachel's Challenge, one of the most life-changing school programs in America.

Congratulations to the students at Sir Frederick Banting Secondary School on raising $3,000 to bring Rachel’s Challenge program to their school. In addition to the funds raised, a $1,000 Vital Schools grant from London Community Foundation is being issued to help cover the cost of the program.   

Maya Golis and Sydney Lapaine are the two grade 12 students responsible for spearheading the Vital Schools grant application. They were so moved by the Rachel’s Challenge story that they were motivated to create a kinder atmosphere and foster a sense of community in their own school and community.

The Rachel’s Challenge presentation consists of a motivational multi-media assembly open to all students, followed by a 90-minute workshop for up to 100 students and 10 staff members. The workshop targets issues related to bullying and prejudice. Ideally it involves different social groups throughout a school, including leadership groups and at risk students.

Maya and Sydney hope to take it further by instituting small student-oriented committees that would brainstorm a plan of action to implement what they have learned into their daily lives, and culminate in a seminar in the evening inviting the community to participate in the movement.

Starting with that intimate group of people, we hope that they would soon build the confidence to broadcast the knowledge they’ve attained to a larger audience. To continue the involvement of our school, we would incorporate Rachel’s Challenge into our Safe and Healthy Schools Committee, which focuses on maintaining a caring and positive environment. This event would give participants a chance to grow as leaders, and empower them to start a chain reaction of kindness. ~ Maya Golis and Sydney Lapaine