What if… instead of asking, “How do we raise test scores?”, we ask “What would it take to create schools where every child feels safe, loved and celebrated?”

What if… our schools could become supportive learning environments that empower every student to thrive and grow at all levels?

What if… isolation, depression and all forms of violence could be systematically eliminated from our children’s’ school experience?

What if… interpersonal connection, life skills and support could automatically lead to higher test scores and happier children?

Is it possible that in that kind of environment, students everywhere would feel excited to learn and go to class with a sense of expectancy?

We have worked in schools all over the United States and Canada since 1987, and have found that young people everywhere want and need the same things - love, acceptance and connection. We believe anything we all want, we can get. Through our programs we have consistently experienced that these things are completely possible.

While experiencing daily challenges of adolescence, academic stress, and negative peer pressure in today’s society being greater than ever, the youth we work with consistently share many of the same things they hate about their schools. We all know the list: cliques, rumors, humiliation, social isolation, negative peer pressure, bullying, violence, drug and alcohol abuse, self-mutilation, eating disorders, racism, sexism, homophobia, competition, and academic stress are leaving many of our children feeling lonely, hopeless, depressed, frightened, addicted and in too many cases, suicidal.

Teachers and students are also facing increased pressure to meet new standards. These pressures are compounded by increased class sizes and drastic reductions in extra-curricular programming, counseling services, and teacher availability. Our students are asked to navigate through a sea of personal emotions and interpersonal challenges with very little support - support they desperately need and deserve. If we continue to turn a blind eye to our children’s needs we would be, to some degree, signing off and settling for what has now become the devastatingly sad results of the status quo.

As parents, and educators, we believe it is time for all of us to step up and share our children’s burden.

Our work is about teaching our kids that they are not victims. They do have choice, and in exercising that choice, they have power - power to create positive change. As an organization, we have committed ourselves to demonstrating that young people everywhere can all have the schools, communities and lives of their dreams.

We have recently been joined in this effort by Clayton Valley High School in Concord, CA. After a recent series of tragedies, this school and their community are ready to take a stand to Be The Change they wish to see in the world. Such an undertaking is not without cost, publicity or effort of course, and the decision was made after considering those issues.

A Be The Change School requires that the key administrators and core team members are ready to say “YES” and to enroll the faculty into a ‘yes’ for the entire plan, a request that was met with an overwhelming YES.

See the Sample Plan for creating a Be The Change School, to see what it means... conducting surveys, gathering statistics now and at the end of the school year; participating in workshops, assemblies, trainings and Challenge Day programs.

As parents and educators we believe it’s time for us all to step up and share our children’s burden. If our young people can’t experience that love and connection are possible in their schools, how can they ever believe it’s possible in their own lives or in the world? Our work is about teaching our kids that they are not victims. As an organization we have committed ourselves to demonstrating that young people can all have the schools, communities and lives of their dreams.

Watch for more information on this powerful pilot project both here and in our newsletters. We stand ready to work with you to create the school of your dreams.

Available Tools (links open in a new window)

BTC - How To Keep Challenge Day Alive Guide (PDF format, last updated Aug 2004)
BTC School Sample Plan (PDF format, last updated Dec 2004)
BTC School Plan - Template (MS Word format, last updated Nov 2004)
BTC - Team Guide (PDF format, last updated Dec 2004)
BTC - Team Support Info (PDF format, last updated Dec 2004)
Challenger Student Handbook (PDF format, last updated Nov 2004)
Video Guide for "Teen Files" (PDF format, last updated Aug 2003)