Grant Spotlight: Challenge Day at Berkshire

Challenge Day Partcipants

On October 6, 100 seventh grade students had the opportunity to participate in Challenge Day at Berkshire Middle School, thanks to a partnership between the BEF, the Berkshire PTA and Berkshire Middle School.

Students spent 6.5 hours together with 26 adult volunteers and facilitators from the Challenge Day organization. The day began with a dance party (yes! a dance party at 8:30am), and then moved on to team building exercises, working to bring everyone together. 

Explaining the rules of giant beach ball volleyball

Once everyone was feeling pretty good, and comfortable around each other, the program turned toward the serious. Students and adult volunteers were given the chance to share about their life experiences in a family group, and to to get to know one another just a little better. 

The afternoon culminated with "Cross the Line". an exercise meant to highlight how different life experiences have impacted each participant, and to show love to each other. Everyone present was visibly moved during and after this exercise. 

Challenge facilitators Flo and Dorias

The day finished on a high note, with students sharing the lessons they learned, and how they would use them going forward. 

After the event, Assistant Principal Joanna McKinney was asked to share her thoughts on Challenge Day. "The word I keep hearing is 'impactful'."

Students Will and Lily were asked to share their thoughts on Challenge Day. Lily said that the day was incredibly eye-opening. Will said "If everyone could do this, there would be a massive change." 

Ms. McKinney and students at Berkshire are now working to get up a "Be the Change" club to keep the lessons learned during challenge day going. The school will also be using curriculum from Challenge Day in their C3 (Creating a Caring Community) classes throughout the school year. 

Special thanks to the adult volunteers who made Challenge Day possible!