“Rachel’s Challenge”, is a powerful presentation based on the life of Rachel Scott, the first person killed in the Columbine High School massacre. The contents of her diaries have become the foundation for this nationally acclaimed violence prevention program. Just weeks before her death, Rachel wrote an essay in which she said, “I have this theory, if people can go out of their way to show compassion for just one person, you may just start a chain reaction.”
As a result of this presentation at LEHS, a group of students started a new club, the “Friends of Rachel”, the goal of which is to encourage students to continue Rachel’s chain of kindness and make positive changes in the way they treat others. One of the projects is to build a “chain of kindness”. This is done by encouraging students and staff to be aware of kind deeds (both large and small) going on around them every day. At LEHS, each classroom has a folder with strips of paper, called “links”, that students and staff use to document any kind deeds that they witness or experience. Those links are collected on a regular basis and made into a chain. This sounds very similiar to the "Respect is a Requirement at Lynn Woods" program.
The LEHS Friends of Rachel Club has invited Lynn Woods and other local organizations to work together to build our chain. LEHS students, met with our 5th grade students to explain the program and build excitment around the idea. What amazing role models!!
To learn more about Rachel's challenge watch the video link below:
www.rachelschallenge.org