The Chalk Guy - Over Ben Glenn’s ADHD-adventure filled messages of inspiration and hope are both entertaining and educational. Youth relate to his struggles for acceptance in school, parents and teachers get an insider’s perspective on what it’s like to grow up “different”, “special”. Over the years, Ben has spoken to thousands of people honing his ability to take complex, emotionally-charged subjects and give his audience a fresh, easy-to-digest perspective that produces real change in attitudes, goals and motivations.
Junior Achievement - JA Worldwide is the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. Junior Achievement programs help prepare young people for the real world by showing them how to generate wealth and effectively manage it, how to create jobs which make their communities more robust, and how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace. Students put these lessons into action and learn the value of contributing to their communities.
7th Grade
Alvin Law - Over 13,000 babies around the world were deformed in the early 1960's because of a morning sickness drug, Thalidomide. Alvin Law was born without arms after his birth mother, thinking it was completely safe, used just a couple of the tiny pills and their lives were forever altered. Yet, what may have become a tragic life-story did not turn out that way. Today, Alvin is not only a completely independent, remarkably successful professional speaker, but proof that out of nothing can arise one of the most inspiring stories you will ever witness.
8th Grade
FIRING UP! - Arick Bosnick is a former teacher and coach who has been featured on television over a dozen times for the success of his Goal Setters Club and Summer Success and Leadership Camps. Today he is a full-time motivational speaker FIRING UP! Students to Achieve Their Dreams in school and in life no matter what their circumstances.
School Wide Programs
Reflections - The PTA Reflections Program was described by its founder, Mary Lou Anderson, as “almost too simple.” That simplicity-of asking children to express themselves artistically based on a common theme-is the foundation of this long-standing PTA program. Students submit artwork. Works are judged at the local level and the winning entries advance to the council, district, region, and/or state PTA levels, depending on the state structure. Top state award-winning entries advance to the national level of judging.
Rachel's Challenge - Each day 160,000 students do not go to school because they are bullied, teased and harassed. By turning the story of a tragic death at Columbine High School into a mission for change, Rachel's Challenge is helping create safer learning environments and making a world-wide impact. Rachel's Challenge is a series of student empowering programs and strategies that equip students and adults to combat bullying and ally feelings of isolation and despair by creating a culture of kindness and compassion. The programs are based on the writings and life of 17 year-old Rachel Scott who was the first student killed at Columbine High School in 1999. Rachel left a legacy of reaching out to those who were different, who were picked on by others, or who were new at her school. Shortly before her death she wrote, "I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go." Rachel's Challenge was started by Rachel's dad and stepmom, Darrell and Sandy Scott when they realized that the writings and drawings Rachel left not only had an impact on her friends and classmates, but also resonated with students around the world. Although Rachel was a typical teenager who even wrote about her "ups and downs," she had a passion and conviction that she would someday change the world. The Scott family knew her story and passion had to be told to inspire others to make their world a better place. More than 18 million people have been touched by Rachel's message, and they continue the legacy of making a difference in their communities. Each year at least 2 million more people are added to that number. These are just a couple of the results of Rachel's Challenge. In one survey, 78% more students indicated they would definitely intervene in a bullying incident in their school after seeing Rachel's Challenge. In a recent 24 month period, Rachel's Challenge received more than 450 emails from students who indicated that they changed their mind about taking their own life after hearing Rachel's Challenge. Rachel's Challenge is a non-profit, non-political, non-religious organization based in Littleton, Colorado.