Rachel’s Challenge: Start a chain reaction of compassion

The hour presentation Wednesday night held everyone in attendance captivated with a central theme and message: everyone can do one thing to promote kindness and compassion.

This was the second time that day Meichelle Gibson had shared Rachel Joy Scott’s five-part challenge to a packed house at Jasper High School’s gymnasium. The first was to about 1,800 students earlier in the day.

Rachel, the first victim in the Columbine shooting, had a dream to start a chain reaction of kindness and compassion in communities.

“I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go.” – Rachel Joy Scott

Her challenge: look for the best in others, dream big, choose positive influences, speak with kindness and start your own chain reaction.

Gibson’s presentation examined how Rachel lived with compassion and kindness. She described the events leading up to her death in the tragic event from 1999.

Through her actions prior to her death, many students came forward to share with her family how Rachel had a deep impact from her simple acts of kindness after she died. One young man turned away from his own plan to commit suicide.

The transformational effect of her story helped launch a non-profit organization called Rachel’s challenge that has reached over 1.5 million people, more than 1,200 schools, averted 150 suicides, decreased the instances of bullying and violence and increased acts of kindness.

The story that changes everything from Rachel’s Challenge on Vimeo.

Gibson is one of the speakers who has a personal connection with the Scott family and is commissioned to travel and give out the message to encourage a positive climate and culture in schools.

But it isn’t just about schools; it includes communities of people who want to create a positive, permanent change in themselves and their schools, and also in businesses.

These students are so engaged,” Gibson said about the events. “And you can already tell that this community is well equipped with kindness and compassion. And, you can tell that the parents care, because the students care and to see that magnified today was amazing.

Gibson says she is inspired by the program herself, and said that she sees changes in people that is worth telling about. The best benefit is when I see a student have an “ah-ha” moment. Like today I had a student say ‘I finally found my voice,'” she explaind. “We had one student come up today and actually apologize because he had been a person who acted like a bully, but his reasoning was because of all the things he had at home.”

Gibson says that’s where the breakthroughs come for the community and the schools.

One of the outcomes of the presentation is that a new club called Friends of Rachel is being started in the school to keep the positive effects of the message going.

Read more on the website at rachelschallenge.org.