GREENFIELD – An anti-bullying campaign from an international school outreach organization is being shared with students at all Greenfield-Central Schools this week and next.
Rachel’s Challenge – named for Rachel Joy Scott – is one of the most popular school assembly programs in the U.S.
Scott was just 17 in the spring of 1999 when she became the first victim of the Columbine High School shooting, in which two teenage gunmen fatally shot 12 students and one teacher at their Colorado school.
Rachel’s Challenge was created to advocate for Scott’s values, partly outlined in an essay she wrote a month before her death. In it Scott wrote that compassion is “the greatest form of love humans have to offer.”
The nonprofit spreads the message of the dangers of bullying as well as the importance of suicide prevention and positive mental health.
Robin LeClaire, Greenfield-Central’s director of student services, said the program seemed like the perfect fit to address bullying and compassion in local schools, where students, parents and staff have learned to cope since a fourth-grader committed suicide in early May.
Sammy Teusch was a fourth-grader at Greenfield Intermediate School when he took his own life at home, which his parents say was a direct result of relentless bullying.
Tuesday morning, Sammy’s father, Sam Teusch, posted to his personal Facebook page that it’s been 100 days since his son died.
On Monday, Teusch and his wife filed paperwork to launch their own anti-bullying nonprofit – Sammy’s Tree – which he said will address not just bullying but holding bullies and schools accountable.
“I filed for my 501c3 yesterday, and we should be able to act as a nonprofit in the coming week,” Teusch said Tuesday morning. The pending website address is SammysTree.org.
Teusch said he hopes Sammy’s Tree will shine the light on the dangers of bullying and the risks of suicide, as well as how bullying is handled in the schools.
LeClaire said that while the decision to ramp up anti-bullying messages at Greenfield-Central schools was prompted by Sammy’s death, the district has been promoting anti-bullying measures for years as mandated by state law.
“While it’s required by legislation, Greenfield-Central has created their own programming that we’ve done at each building during the first quarter each school year,” said LeClaire.
“We’re continuing to do that, so this (Rachel’s Challenge program) will be layered on top of that,” she said.
Worldwide Impact
LeClaire said Rachel’s Challenge has been implemented worldwide and is highly recommended by the state department of education and the Central Indiana Educational Service Center.
From Aug. 14-21, representatives from the nonprofit will present all-school assemblies and provide leadership training at each of Greenfield-Central’s schools, delivering age-appropriate messages to students in grades K-12. Parents had the opportunity to opt out of having their children participate.
At 6 p.m. Aug. 20, the nonprofit will host a Community Night for adults and “older” students at the school district’s Educational Services Center at 700 N. Broadway St., where details of the Columbine shooting will be shared.
Rachel’s Challenge representatives will also help create leadership teams among Greenfield students in grades 5-12, and will return at a later date for additional training.
“The leadership teams will have some opportunities throughout the year to expand that kindness and those efforts throughout the school year with different projects,” said LeClaire.
According to RachelsChallenge.org, the nonprofit is aimed at creating school environments “full of hope, free from harassment, violence, and self-harm, where teachers are free to teach and students are inspired to learn.”
The website shares that nearly 30 million people around the world have accepted Rachel’s Challenge to start a chain reaction of kindness.
“Rachel’s Challenge addresses the root causes of school violence, bullying, prejudice, and self-harm through student wellness programs that build connection, hope and resilience. We improve school culture so that students are able to reach their full potential academically, socially and emotionally,” it shares.
LeClaire said additional anti-bullying programs will take place in Greenfield-Central schools throughout the school year.
That includes a program led by RemedyLIVE, a Ft. Wayne-based nonprofit which uses technology to create meaningful conversations about mental health in businesses, organizations, and schools around the nation.
Greenfield-Central will offer the program virtually for all students as well as an in-person community night later this year.
Another initiative called Stand for the Silent – which aims to spread awareness about bullying and the real devastation it can cause – will be offered exclusively at Greenfield Intermediate School, where Sammy would have been a fifth-grader this year.
After his death, GIS principal Curtis Bronson established a community focus group which meets monthly to work through a book study on “The Anxious Generation” and how to protect this generation of kids. The second session was held Tuesday night.
“It’s a great opportunity for the families of GIS to come together and have some open dialogue,” said LeClaire.
To learn more about the programs being shared through Greenfield-Central Schools, visit: RachelsChallenge.org;
StandForTheSilent.org; and RemedyLive.com.
