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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 13, 2008
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San Mateo County Health Department
Contact: Beverly Thames, (650) 573-3935
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Award-Winning Program to Stop Bullying Coming to Three San Mateo County Middle Schools
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Today is Challenge Day, at Ingrid B. Lacy Middle School in Pacifica. Students, teachers, counselors, parents and members of the community will be challenged to step out of their comfort zones, open their hearts and build connections with others.
Two other schools, Robertson (Garnet J.) Intermediate in Daly City and John F. Kennedy Middle in Redwood City, will participate in the nationally recognized Challenge Day program May 15 and 19 respectively.
The Challenge Day program is designed to reduce teasing and bullying, teach tools for peaceful conflict resolution and inspire teens and adults to work together for positive change. Two trained leaders guide participants through a carefully designed series of games, activities and trust-building exercises to break down the walls of separation and create new levels of empathy and respect.
Statistics support the need for Challenge Day. In San Mateo County schools, 26.9 percent of 7th graders reported theft or property damage, 9.9 percent reported carrying a gun, and 30.3 percent reported feeling threatened by or observed someone with a weapon. (Source: California Healthy Kids Survey San Mateo County 2003-2004, as cited in the 2007 San Mateo County Adolescent Report with the Youth Commission's Policy Recommendations, http://www.plsinfo.org/ healthysmc/pdf/adolescent_report_07.pdf.)
Challenge Day is more than a one-day program. It is the spark that ignites a movement of compassion and positive change, known as The Be the Change movement.
Challenge Day has been featured in the New York Times best-seller Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul and on The Oprah Winfrey Show. For more information on Challenge Day, go to www.challengeday.org.
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