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What is challenge day?
Challenge day is an opportunity for students to explore what bullying is and how it affects others. Through open sharing, 4th grade students have an opportunity to talk about personal experiences with feeling different and/or alone. They may also have an opportunity to talk about a time that they hurt someone else’s feelings, or about a time when it happened to them.
Though the initial focus is to provide education about bullying, Challenge Day is also intended to create a sense of openness, honesty, compassion, tolerance/acceptance, cohesion, and empathy among this group of students. They are asked to think about what it is like to be the victim as well as the bully, and then students are challenged to “BE THE CHANGE.” It is important for students to know that they can make a change in their social environment by making positive choices. Examining one's own actions is a great way to "BE THE CHANGE." Once a student can identify how the problem of bullying effects them and how they have participated in the problem, they can begin the process of being a "bucket filler" and leading others in that positive example, while trying not to be a "bucket dipper."
At the end of Challenge Day, students learn about the “Formula for Change.” Each student then has the opportunity to sign the Challenge Day pledge and decide whether or not they accept the challenge to "BE THE CHANGE." We hope that the lessons learned at Challenge Day will help our students to continue making positive gains socially and academically.
NOW WHAT??
1. Stop living below “the waterline.” Do not be afraid to be who you really are!
2. Challenge yourself to notice the thoughts and behaviors that prevent you from being a respectful, tolerant, and bucket filling member of your school.
3. CHANGE THEM! Now that you have accepted the challenge, it is up to you to use the Formula for Change every day to make yourself and your school a better place.
Formula for change: NOTICE-CHOOSE-ACT
–STEP 1: NOTICE! WAKE UP!
•Do you like the way things are?
•Are there things that need to change to create a better community?
–STEP 2: CHOOSE- DREAM IT!
•In your greatest vision for yourself, and your school, how do you want things to be?
–STEP 3: ACT- DO SOMETHING!!
•Take action- have the courage and commitment to be the CHANGE! Set an example for others.
“Be the change you wish to see in this world.” - Gandhi
•Use the formula to do at least one intentional act of change EVERY day.
** Please visit challengeday.org to learn more about this program **
