Challenge Day: Kiwanian Gets Involved with Anti-Bullying Campaign

by Joe R. Brake

Two teachers from Marnier Middle School, Cape Henlopen School District, Milton, Delaware watched the Oprah Winfrey television show one day and were inspired by an anti-bully initiative called Challenge Day. Teachers Dana Orton and Tricia Collins researched, marketed, fundraised and contacted community volunteers for assistance concerning the establishment of a Challenge Day program for their 7th thru 9th graders. As a member of the Rehoboth Beach Kiwanis Club and an SLP Advisor, I offered my volunteer services with the fundraising, marketing, researching and participation. We raised over five thousand dollars, recruited one hundred volunteers consisting of students, parents, teachers, school administrators, and non-profit organizations.

In addition we received donations from fifteen local businesses, and support from the University of Delaware and Delaware Department of Education. The Challenge Day program focused on getting young students to communicate with each others about their problems and existing societal issues. The program is monitored and presented by a professional organization from California called http://www.challengeday.org. This is a one-day event for 100 students and volunteers. Mariner Middle School scheduled three days for their 7th and 8th students and a day for 9th grade students from Cape Henlopen High School. The first anti-bullying programming was conducted in the Spring 2009, the second program was conducted in December 2009, the next Challenge Day project is scheduled for September 2010. Since the conception of the anti-bullying initiative, there has been a reduction in school suspensions, teacher referrals, less student fighting in school and good improvement with academic grading. The Cape Henlopen School District Superintendent George Stone supports this anti-bullying program for the middle and high schools.