Embrace 'Rachel's Challenge' - end bullying

When is the last time a school assembly saved a life … or perhaps changed the fate of a town?

This Thursday and Friday, the Daily Bee has joined with the Lake Pend Oreille School District and other groups to bring a series of school assemblies and parental/community training sessions to Sandpoint.

Rachel's Challenge is a program that began in response to the tragedy at Columbine in 1999. Rachel Scott was the first victim of the shooting. Her brother, who also attended Columbine at the time of the shooting, is presenting the programs.

The five specific challenges Scott will introduce to the junior high and high school students will be: The power of influence, the importance of goal-setting and journaling, the removal of prejudice and bullying as well as how to create a climate of kindness.

On Friday, parents and interested community members are invited to an hour-long meeting at the First Christian Church. This is not a religious meeting and the location was chosen because the SHS auditorium would have been too small. The talk begins at 7 p.m. Admission is free.

The Foundation for Human Rights and Advocacy and the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities committee are co-sponsoring the program.

By empowering our children and informing educators and students, Rachel's Challenge is an important step in stopping a Columbine incident or an ever-growing list of schools where violence seems to be increasingly common.

We urge you to come learn about what you can do to help…before it is too late.

David Keyes is publisher of the Daily Bee.