The Challenge Day organization has been working with schools all over the world for almost forty years. photo courtesy of Challenge Day
TJ juniors were encouraged to connect with each other during Challenge Day last month.
At the end of October, TJ’s juniors experienced the day-long Challenge Day program. The program is designed to inspire connection, build community, and empower students. This is TJ’s 18th Challenge Day. TJ hosts two Challenge Days per year, splitting the junior class into two halves. On each day, students engage in a number of icebreaker activities before being invited to open up to each other on a deeper level.
A key part of each Challenge Day involves inviting students to be vulnerable. The Challenge Day organization uses the metaphor of an iceberg; while icebergs are very large, only the small top of the iceberg is visible. Challenge Day organizers compare this to the parts of themselves people choose to show to the world, which are much smaller than the true extent of their thoughts and feelings. They encourage students to “lower their waterline” and be more open to their peers. “I think it really helps students really understand what other people are going through…I think a lot of kids feel that they’re alone. And so I think it’s an important day to highlight that they are not,” said TJ social worker Samanda Davis. Davis has organized the event for TJ for the past eighteen years. Challenge Day encourages students to share things about themselves that they may not have shared with others. In doing so, they understand that they are not alone in their struggles.
While the heart of Challenge Day is the heavier conversations, there are plenty of fun and casual activities throughout the day. The goal of these icebreaker games is to make students feel more comfortable opening up later on. “It is meticulously planned out and intentional from the time before anyone walks in the room to have a sequence of events, discussion topics, and strategies to help everyone involved become more comfortable over time,” said TJ social studies teacher Garien Behling, who has been participating in Challenge Day for fifteen years. “I think it’s a great fit for TJ,” Behling explained. “Challenge Day is about their mantra of notice, choose, act. It’s about being the change you want to see in the world.” For TJ juniors, Challenge Day is an opportunity to recognize the importance of community and move forward to help improve the lives of themselves and others around them.
Challenge Day is technically optional, but students are highly encouraged to participate. Some students can be scared off by the emotional vulnerability Challenge Day encourages. “I think the number one phrase that is used to describe Challenge Day… is, ‘you’re going to cry.’ And while it is a really emotional day for many of us, and that does happen for many of us, that’s not the purpose, right?
It is simply one of the things that happens for many people during this really powerful experience,” said Behling.
Building a community and inspiring interpersonal connections is done in a plethora of ways throughout Challenge Day, including with plenty of games and fun challenges. “If you’re worrying that it’s going to be something where you have to share and you have to be emotional, and vulnerable, don’t feel pressured to do any of that stuff. Don’t go into it assuming that it’s just going to be a seven hour therapy session…try to participate and try to have a little bit of fun,” said TJ junior Mckenzie Davenport, who participated in Challenge Day this year. “It was honestly lighter than I expected it to be,” she elaborated. The combination of fun activities and deeper, emotional conversations helps students connect with and relate to their peers. “It made it easier to be vulnerable around other classmates,” said Davenport. Challenge Day helps TJ students learn more about each other’s struggles, allowing them to connect and practice empathy in their personal lives.
