Coastal Delaware Kiwanis Shares in Challenge Day
by Joe Brake
Cape Henlopen School District students were experiencing harassment and intimidation from their own classmates, on and off the school campuses. This unfortunate negative activity affected all grade levels in the school district. According to the Department of Education, school violence against students in America has increased to a serious level that will compromise the integrity of the education system. Two middle schools teachers from Mariner Middle School, Cape Henlopen School District wanted to research information about anti-bullying initiatives for their students. The Ophra Winfrey television show, highlighted an anti-bullying program called Challenge Day showing how high school students cope with bullying. The Challenge Day organization from Concord, California provides student workshops for one hundred students a day for a fee. The Mariner Middle School teachers contacted the organization, were invited to view and participate in upcoming Challenge Day events in New Jersey, and they accepted. They immediately began fundraising efforts for a Challenge Day at their school district after visiting and seeing the results from the Challenge Day programming at other schools.
The Challenge Day program at Mariner Middle and Cape Henlopen High School began three years ago due to the commitment and dedication from teachers, students, school administrators, businesses, non-profit organizations, families, local school board and Delaware's department of education. At present, Cape Henlopen School District is the only school district in the state providing a Challenge Day programming for their students. Coastal Delaware Kiwanis Club has supported the anti-bullying programming providing members as facilitators and funding for this school activity.
The Challenge Day organization provides two facilitators to oversee the daylong planned student group events. Volunteers and teachers meet early for a prompt discussion of the program. The day begins in the school gymnasium with volunteers, families and students interacting with music, dancing and complimenting each other at first. For example, "Hey, you're awesome," to several random people. There are beach ball games and introduction sessions during the first part of the Challenge Day activity. The compassion building exercises led the students and volunteers into a trusting relationship. Then students and volunteers confide personal experiences (not mandatory) and communicate about self-esteem and bullying. The facilitators led the group by sharing their own experiences and problems and invite small group discussions to share and practice confidentiality for each other within the small group sessions. The serious part from the Challenge Day began with plenty of hugs, serious tears, and made use of the sign language symbol for love and respect for those who need it. Adult volunteers usually reflect and share on their own personal relationships with their families, communities and life during the activity. Participating students share harassment and personal relationship information during the sessions, concerning who and why they do not like bullying at their school to, their classmates. Families, teachers, and school administrators usually see positive outcomes and results from the anti-bullying programming and there are post follow-up sessions available for the students. The objective and goal of the Challenge Day organization is to improve the school climate. Statistics after the first two years show the program works and negative incidents are on the downturn.
Students and facilitators in group sessions
Facilitators join for group wrap up after session.
