Coventry High to host Rachel's Challenge Program

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Sep. 30—COVENTRY — Coventry Public Schools is working with Rachel's Challenge to stimulate academic achievement and social- emotional learning by focusing on the connection between students, faculty and staff.

Rachel's Challenge was created after the Columbine High School shooting in honor of Rachel Scott and the other victims who lost their lives that day. Rachel was only 17 years old when she was killed in the shooting.

After Rachel's death, her family discovered that she left behind a legacy of kindness and compassion through her life, her writings and the people she had reached out to.

Her family soon realized that Rachel's story could help transform the way people relate to each other and how they feel about themselves. The nonprofit organization believes that Rachel's story provides a path to ending school violence, bullying, self- harm and suicide by creating positive connections that improve self- worth and mental health.

A Rachel's Challenge staff member will share Rachel's story with the entire Coventry community in a one- hour presentation Tuesday at 6 p. m. in the Veterans Auditorium at Coventry High School.

All adults and children over the age of 11 are welcome to attend.

Capt. Nathan Hale Middle School and Coventry High School students will participate in Rachel's Challenge presentations designed for students on October 3 and October 4.

An independent study conducted by Multi-Dimensional Education, LLC, a nationally recognized educational program evaluator, found that schools implementing Rachel's Challenge with fidelity achieved statistically significant gains in community engagement, faculty/ student relationships, leadership potential and school climate along with a reduction in bullying behavior.

According to Rachel's Challenge, using age- appropriate programming for K- 12, Rachel's Challenge schools have reported up to 84 percent reductions in disciplinary referrals. As many as 150 suicides are averted annually, as reported by students themselves.

Rachel's Challenge also said that in a pre- and post- attitudinal survey of 9,881 students from socioeconomically and demographically diverse schools across the U. S. and Canada, respondents reported a 282 percent increase in the number of students feeling safe at school after participating in Rachel's Challenge.

Dr. Robert Marzano, an education researcher and author, believes that Rachel's Challenge has a profound impact on students.

" Rachel's Challenge is the most powerful intervention I have seen in 40 years of working in education," Marzano said in a press release.

In just over two decades of social- emotional and mental health training, Rachel's Challenge has reached more than 30 mil-

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