The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
By Kelly Carrington Staff Writer Twelve students, from Hapnot Collegiate and Creighton Community School, took a challenge to bring their schools and communities together to heart. After attending a student leadership conference last September in Meadow Lake, Sask., the six students from each school were inspired after hearing about Rachel Scott's story. Scott was the first student killed at Colorado's Columbine High School during the infamous April 1999 school shooting. Through the student leadership conference, Scott's younger brother presented Rachel's Challenge Ð a challenge to help improve communities and schools. Stacey Becker, a teacher at Creighton Community School, said Rachel's Challenge was the best presentation she had ever heard at a student leadership conference. "It takes the story of Rachel's life and the Columbine tragedy and challenges the students, teachers and community leaders to make a positive change in the way they treat others," Becker said. Presentation On the way back from Meadow Lake, the Creighton and Hapnot students decided they wanted to bring the presentation to the Flin Flon area. Tomorrow, students in grades 6-12 will gather at Hapnot to listen to Rachel's Challenge. In the afternoon, a workshop will be available at Creighton Community Hall for leadership council students. Tomorrow night, the presentation will be available to the public at Creighton Community Hall. Having seen the presentation, Becker says she would use discretion whether to bring a child under the level of Grade 6. Rachel's Challenge puts a focus on five aspects of life Ð through a challenge. The first challenge, on Rachel's website, is to create a safe learning environment for all students. Throughout the course of the presentation, four other challenges are put to the audience. Becker says Rachel's Challenge really spoke not only to the students at the leadership conference, but to herself as well. "For me, it took something very negative and showed the positive things that came of it," she said. Without giving too much of the presentation away, Becker says it "links together so many different pieces of our lives, not only leadership, but curriculum, parenting and community leadership." For tomorrow, Becker says she hopes that "we will pick up Rachel's Challenge to move forward and incorporate schools with the support of our communities." "I think that's the other thing, not only is the focus on what's in the schools...but what brings together the schools and the community," said Becker. Though the presentation the leadership councils heard in Meadow Lake was by Rachel's brother, the presentation tomorrow will not be delivered by a family member. Nonetheless, Becker says she is "excited to be in a joined adventure with the two school divisions." "I think one of the things Rachel's Challenge promotes is communities working together to make positive changes." Rachel's Challenge will be open to the public, free of charge, tomorrow night at the Creighton Community Hall. Information on Rachel's Challenge is available on her website at www.rachelschallenge.org.
