Let's Get Real - Mike Robbins ~ On-Demand

Challenge Day's mission is to provide youth and their communities with experiential workshops and programs that demonstrate the possibility of love and connection through the celebration of diversity, truth and full expression.

Our 6 1/2-hour Challenge Day program is designed for 100 students. Our program is created to build connection and empathy, and to fulfill our vision that every child lives in a world where they feel safe, loved, and celebrated. Challenge Day is more than a one-day program. It is the spark that ignites a movement of compassion and positive change, known as the Be the Change movement.

Program Goals

Challenge Day successfully addresses some common issues seen at most schools during our school programs including cliques, gossip, rumors, negative judgments, teasing, harassment, isolation, stereotypes, intolerance, racism, sexism, bullying, violence, homophobia, hopelessness, apathy, and hidden pressures to create an image, achieve or live up to the expectations of others. At the end of every Challenge Day program, all participants that fully participate will:

Never again be able to say they didn't know that negative judgments, thoughtless jokes, rumors, or oppressive behaviors, comments or violence hurts people.

Be challenged to adopt our three step formula for creating positive change:

* NOTICE - Wake up! Notice what's happening.
* CHOOSE - Dream It! Create a vision for what you DO want your life to look like.
* ACT - Do Something! Have the courage and commitment it takes to be the change.

Be challenged to celebrate the diversity of ALL people.

Be encouraged to "drop the waterline" and to share and express their true selves (instead of hiding who they are to fit in at school or in their community)

Be provided with tools and alternatives for the healthy self expression while also being challenged to let go of self limiting thoughts, beliefs, and/or emotions.

Be challenged to live in a life in service to others.

Challenge Day programs are the catalyst for creating positive change in schools and communities. We believe each school can be an expert in knowing and understanding the needs of their students and for this reason, we ask schools and their communities to help sustain the changes made during the Challenge Day programs.

We require each school we work with to have a Be the Change Team and we provide tools and curricula for schools to sustain the momentum created by our programs. We believe every school can be a place where students and faculty feel safe, loved, and celebrated.