Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Chain Reaction
RACHEL’S CHALLENGE FOCUSES ON KINDNESS, COMPASSION
PRAIRIE GROVE — About 100 Prairie Grove high school and middle school students separated into small groups following a program recently at Tiger Arena, brainstorming ways to start a “chain reaction” of kindness and compassion in their school buildings.
Fred Lynch with Rachel’s Challenge spoke to elementary children first thing in the morning, Jan. 6, and then addressed seventh12th-graders afterward. He led a training workshop for 100 student leaders after lunch.
Rachel’s Challenge is named after Rachel Joy Scott, the first student killed in the Columbine High School shooting in Littleton, Colo., on April 20, 1999. Rachel, 17 at the time, was sitting outside on the grass eating lunch with a friend when she was shot and killed by one of two students from the school.
From there, the two boys entered the school, carrying guns and bombs. In about 22 minutes, they had killed 12 students, one teacher and wounded 23 students, before killing themselves with gunshot wounds to the head.
SWAT teams entered the school 47 minutes after the shootings started.
The Columbine shooting is still the worst high school shooting in the history of the United States.
After Rachel’s death, many students began to share with Rachel’s family how Rachel had reached out to them, impacting their lives through simple acts of kindness.
Her father found her journals and essays and was astonished at the depth and maturity of her writings. Rachel had written out what she described as her “Code of Life,” penning, “I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go.”
Her family realized how she had helped others and started the non-profit organization, Rachel’s Challenge. The program exists to equip and inspire students to replace acts of violence, bullying and negativity with acts of respect, kindness and compassion. Since its start, more than 22 million students have heard the program.
The program for elementary students was age appropriate and focused on being kind to others.
The program for middle and high school students, though, told about the Colombine shootings.
“I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go.”
— Rachel Joy Scott
It included videos from the shooting, showing students being ushered out of the school by SWAT teams. Families and students hugged each other. Videos included TV news clips from media covering the tragedy and an audio tape of a 911 call made from the librarian about gunshots being heard in the school.
Lynch said he was not presenting the program because staff thought a tragedy like Colombine could happen in Prairie Grove but was there to talk about how Rachel treated others, how she made an impact on her school and community.
In the same way, Prairie Grove students can impact their school and their community, Lynch said.
He gave students five challenges gleaned from Rachel’s journals and essays.
1. Eliminate
Prejudice
But this goes beyond what one might consider a typical prejudice. It is not judging someone before you know them. It is looking for the best in others, not looking for what is wrong with someone.
2. Dream Big
Write down your goals in life, keep a journal. Rachel wrote, “What matters most is to find out why you are on earth and fulfill it.” She also wrote, “I won’t be labeled as average.”
3. Choose Positive
Influences
Lynch explained how peers can influence each other, either in a good way or bad way. In one of Rachel’s diaries, she wrote that she wanted to reach out to those with special needs, new students and students who were being picked on.
One new student told Rachel’s family how she had felt lonely and lost and then Rachel welcomed her and sat with her in the lunchroom.
Another student, who was constantly bullied because of his disabilities, told Rachel’s family how she had physically stood between the boy and his bullies, taking up for him. The boy said he had been thinking about suicide but that day, things changed because Rachel showed she cared for him.
4. Speak With Kindness
“Words can hurt or heal,” Lynch told the students. “It takes nothing to be a jerk but how far can a little kindness go.”
5. Start Your Own Chain Reaction
Lynch told the students they could go out and begin making a difference in their schools today.
Ron Bond, high school principal, closed the second program by encouraging his students to take the challenges to heart.
“Set the example,” Bond said. “I’m proud of Prairie Grove. Be a Tiger. Bring people in.”
In the afternoon session in Tiger Arena, Lynch gave students the opportunity to describe how the program had affected them. About 10 students walked to the gym floor to speak. Several spoke about being bullied in middle school. One student said she learned the answer is not to bully back but to respond in kindness.
“Every single person here has the power to change the world in a good way or a bad way. That’s what I got from this,” said another student.
Lynch encouraged the students to start a FOR (Friends of Rachel) Club, a group of students dedicated to making a positive impact, not just for an hour or two, but as a way of life.
The students separated into small groups, first to write down things they thought needed to change about their school. Some things written down included less judging, more kind words, stronger teacher-student relationships and fewer cliques.
Lynch then talked to the students about bullying, citing studies about bullying and bullies. One study found that 160,000 students miss school everyday due to the fear of being attacked or humiliated by other students. Lynch admitted that he pretended he was sick to miss school so he wouldn’t be bullied.
Studies also found students bully because they are afraid, going through a rough time or because nobody had ever reached out to them.
Using student volunteers, he acted out strategies to give students examples about what to do if they see someone being bullied.
The training ended with the students once again in their small groups coming up with specific acts of kindness for their schools. Ideas included placing sticky notes of compliments on all lockers and having a monthly “Rachel” award.
At the end of the day, Bond said he was excited about the program. Teachers already were observing students talking among themselves on how to improve their school environments.
“The message is one that needs to be heard: kindness and compassion,” Bond said. “That’s a lot of what we don’t see in our society today. This is a message that I think is valuable.”