About Us

Our story

Transforming a tragedy

Rachel’s Challenge was created after the Columbine High School shooting, in honor of Rachel Scott and the other victims lost on that terrible day. As the first widely known mass school shooting, the Columbine tragedy was a catalyst for action for many people.

After Rachel’s death, her family discovered that she left behind a legacy of kindness and compassion – through her life, her writings, and the people she had reached out to. One after another, stories emerged about the profound impact of her simple acts of kindness.

Her family soon realized that Rachel’s story could help transform the way we relate to each other, and how we feel about ourselves. It provides an antidote: a path to ending school violence, bullying, self-harm and suicide. How? By creating positive connections that improve self-worth and mental health. Rachel’s dad, Darrell Scott, was asked to talk about Rachel so often that he and Rachel’s step-mom Sandy started a non-profit organization for school violence prevention that is Rachel’s Challenge today.

In numbers

Students, Educators, Parents trained

Lives saved annually

School shootings averted

Students, Educators, Parents trained

Lives saved annually

School shootings averted

Taking action

FAQs

What is Rachel’s Challenge?

Rachel’s Challenge was created after the Columbine school shooting to reduce violence and encourage compassion and connection in schools. It is a highly-effectively violence and self-harm prevention program with the mission of creating safer, more connected schools. It was started by the family of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shooting, and brings healing and hope through it’s live and digitally delivered social-emotional and mental health content.

For more info, see below or visit here.
What is Rachel’s Challenge Digital?

Over the last 20 years, Rachel’s Challenge has brought hope and connection to over 28 million educators and students with our live SEL assemblies and trainings. In 2020, we launched Rachel’s Challenge Digital – our platform for delivering our life-saving programs virtually.

Rachel’s Challenge digital programs include K-12 classroom programs, for use in virtual or in-person classrooms, as well as a myriad of professional development resources for educators.

Our digital classroom program is designed as a 6-week program consisting of 6, ~10 minute on-demand video modules and accompanying classroom workbooks. The video modules are inspiring and thought-provoking and the corresponding workbooks include daily tools, activities, reflection prompts, and discussion questions to encourage deep engagement with the content (and your students!) over a period of time. The content builds on and works in conjunction with our powerful, live presentations.
How did Rachel’s Challenge get started?

Rachel’s Challenge was created after the Columbine school shooting to honor Rachel, as well as the other victims, and to help reduce violence and self-harm by encouraging compassion and connection in our schools.

One month after Columbine, Rachel’s dad, Darrell Scott, was asked to speak before a Congressional Sub-committee on school violence. Instead of focusing on the symptoms, he spoke about the hearts of our young people: that by focusing exclusively on performance in our homes and schools, we are neglecting the social-emotional needs of our youth; which in turn leads to violence in schools. This message resonated with the audience and soon Darrell was being asked to share Rachel’s story with groups around the country and the world.

He quickly realized that her story had a profound impact on those who heard it and in 2001 he formed the non-profit organization with his wife Sandy. They continued to travel the world telling Rachel’s story until 2003, when they decided to focus on speaking primarily in schools.

Since that time, more than 28 million people have heard Rachel’s story in live settings around the world. Every year close to 1 million students, educators and parents in the US, Canada, Mexico, and other countries are involved in Rachel’s Challenge programs.

Rachel’s Challenge brings healing and hope by reminding us, through Rachel’s example, that the little things we do and say everyday can have a huge impact on the people around us. The challenge we leave with students, educators…everyone…is to speak and act with kindness. Like Rachel said, “I have this theory that if one person will 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.”

In 2020, as both a response to the coronavirus pandemic and to expand the reach and effectiveness of our mission to create safer, more connected schools, we launched Rachel’s Challenge Digital, which are virtual programs and resources that complement our existing live programs.
What is the intended impact of your programs?

Rachel’s Challenge was created after the Columbine school shooting to reduce violence and encourage compassion and connection in schools.

Our intended impact is safer, more connected schools.

Creating a school culture less susceptible to bullying and violence is possible. We see it happening every day in socially and culturally diverse schools across North America.

Based in part on the life and writings of Rachel Joy Scott, the first Columbine victim, we provide K-12 assemblies, trainings, and support materials that form a proactive, preventative intervention for school violence focused on social-emotional connection and mental health. After Rachel’s Challenge, schools report less harassment and isolation. They see bullying incidents go down and disciplinary referrals decrease. Eight school shootings that we know of have been prevented. And students, parents and educators report more than 150 suicides averted annually.
Does Rachel’s Challenge only do K-12 programming?

Our primary focus is K-12; for students, educators and caregivers. We do, however, have programming for both College and Business. This consists primarily of keynote addresses (Rachel’s story) and follow-up training around making the campus or business safer and more productive through positive connections. You may contact your local Rachel’s Challenge representative for more info by quickly filling out this simple form.
Do you charge for your programs?

We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We’d love to be able to deliver our programs for free. However, it costs money to develop, maintain, support and deliver our programming to schools. So, we do charge for our programs. The cost depends on the type and amount of programming selected. Your local Rachel’s Challenge rep would love to answer any questions you might have and share program pricing. Please contact your rep by clicking here.

As a non-profit we also actively fundraise. The monies raised are used to keep the cost of our programs as low as possible. And we work with schools to help them find the funding needed to bring us in. Any donation to Rachel’s Challenge is 100% tax deductible. Our EIN is 84-1557094. Donations can be made on our website or Facebook page.
How do you sustain the impact of Rachel’s Challenge?

Neuroscience indicates that three things are required to sustain behavioral change:

1) a significant emotional catalyst

2) time to process and find meaning; and

3) purposeful, persistent, repetitive action. When all three of these are present the brain will actually create new neuro-pathways that change behavior.

Rachel’s Challenge travels to schools across the US and Canada as an assembly program. Our on-site assemblies provide a powerfully unique emotional catalyst. We also facilitate a student training to help process and find meaning in the emotion; and to start a Friends of Rachel (FOR) Club that is a service organization designed to turn feelings into action.

In Fall 2020 Rachel’s Challenge Digital was launched as a complement to our on-site assembly programs, providing teachers with at least six weeks of lessons and daily activities (that can be stretched out over the course of the year). This content is for use with students in both physical and virtual classrooms to provide further opportunities for students to process and put their learnings into practice, deepening the impact.

Our programs are intentionally designed to work with other initiatives already going on in the school or business to promote a positive culture. So, we can be the emotional catalyst needed to gain traction with existing efforts. Or, we also offer a number of additional trainings and tools for both students and educators; depending on how deep a school would like to go with us and what they are already doing.
What research supports Rachel’s Challenge effectiveness?
Rachel’s Challenge has refined its programs over the past 20 years with more than 28 million participants. Over that time period, we’ve consistently maintained a 98% recommendation rate; as well as a 98% score on program relatability and effectiveness.

An independent study (MDEd 2014) concluded that, “Rachel’s Challenge provides sustainable evidence-based, data-driven improvement that meets SAMHSA requirements. Their partner schools achieve statistically significant gains in community engagement, faculty/student relationships, leadership potential, and school climate, along with reductions in bullying, alcohol/tobacco and other drug use.”

Our own study of 9,881 demographically and socio-economically diverse students across North America indicated students felt safer and were more inclined to intervene in a bullying situation after participating in Rachel’s Challenge programming.

Schools consistently report less harassment and isolation after having Rachel’s Challenge. They see bullying incidents go down and disciplinary referrals decrease. Eight school shootings that we know of have been prevented. And students, parents and educators report more than 150 suicides averted annually.

There is also ample research indicating the power of positive connection on both behavior and performance in the classroom:

Greeting a student by name, along with appropriate physical contact increases a student’s level of engagement by up to 27%. (Allday & Pakurar)

Students making a meaningful connection with their teachers increased graduation rates by 18%. (Edutopia)

Students ages 5-12 have a 31% increase in academic performance when they feel Hope (+13%), Engagement (+10%), and Well Being (+8%). (CASEL)

Dr. Robert Marzano, educator, researcher and best-selling author says, “Rachel’s Challenge is the most powerful intervention I have seen in my 45 years in education.”
How do we fund a program?

Many schools have budgets to bring in programs like Rachel’s Challenge. Often schools use SEL or mental/behavioral health funds from their budgets or a local agency. Often the PTA or PTO, a private donor, or a local business or service club like Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, etc. will help with the funding. Some communities have credit unions, hospitals, and other community focused institutions are looking to give back to their communities by sponsoring this type of training. Many mental health organizations want to fund behavioral health initiatives in schools. Rachel’s Challenge has used these funding sources effectively. There are also a number of local, state and federal grants available for these types of programs. Your local Rachel’s Challenge rep is happy to discuss ways to find the funding for a Rachel’s Challenge program. Contact your regional partnership manager here.
Will Rachel’s Challenge programs bring up feelings and emotions?

We hope so. Rachel’s Challenge is designed to create a safe place for students, and adults, to share feelings and emotions that already exist; before they lead to problems for the individual or school community. We work with educators and mental health professionals to ensure that all of our programs are trauma informed and age-appropriate. For example, there is no mention of Columbine in the elementary program. We work with the school to help them determine which programs are best suited for their students, and ask that the school have counselors available for students as programs are presented.
How can Rachel’s Challenge help in a crisis situation?

Our objective is to work with schools and individuals to help keep a crisis from occurring in the first place. Understanding and managing our own emotions, interacting appropriately with others, and making good decisions are all learned behaviors. Our programs are trauma informed and designed to help students, and adults, learn these life skills and connect in appropriate ways with others.

We are not equipped to intervene directly in an individual bullying or crisis situation. We recommend that people find a local resource dedicated to crisis management; or contact a crisis hotline. When the community is ready, we often come in following a tragedy or crisis to help with the healing and rebuilding process.
Is Rachel’s Challenge an anti-bullying program?

Rachel’s Challenge minimizes bullying and violence (harm to self or others) by helping schools create a culture of inclusion and connection. When students feel safe, and like they belong, they are more connected. When they are more connected they are less likely to hurt themselves or others. Schools that have Rachel’s Challenge report fewer incidents of bullying, fewer disciplinary referrals, and higher test scores. Of the thousands of unsolicited correspondences we receive annually, consistently around 150 are from students that were going to take their own lives, but didn’t because of Rachel’s Challenge being in their school.
Is Rachel’s Challenge a political or religious organization?

No. Our non-profit charter specifically states that we are a non-political, non-religious organization. Rachel was a person of faith and we don’t apologize for that. However, there is no religious content, nor do we champion any political agenda in any of our programs. We do share the universal truths of kindness, compassion, respect for self and others, and the power of deliberately reaching out with kind words and actions. We champion the hope and safety these healthy connections provide schools, businesses, or communities.
Can I attend a Rachel’s Challenge program?

For safety and privacy reasons we do not publish our school program schedule. Most schools, however, publicize their Community Event (evening presentation for adults). It is best to check with your local schools to see if they are having Rachel’s Challenge. Rachel’s Challenge also speaks at many conferences around the country and sponsors quarterly informational events at our offices in Centennial, CO which are open to the public. If you are interested in finding a school or attending an event in your area you may also contact your local Rachel’s Challenge representative for guidance.