Pettiness, bullies, clicks, mean girls, in-crowds, pressure—all of these things evoke why most of us disliked high school and our teenage years. Challenge Day, started in 1987 by Yvonne and Rich Dutra-St. John, aims to change all of that. Challenge Day takes high school teenagers and teaches them that the only way out of judgment is to be witness to their peers sharing their struggles. Using games, exercises, and the disclosure of their innermost fears, teens realize their connection to one another and take the first step in transforming their school’s culture. Challenge Day aims to rid schools of violence and alienation by challenging each student to: “Be the change they want to see in the world.”
—Gandhi
Related story: Challenging Teens with Challenge Day
