Challenge Day comes to Calhoun High

Calhoun High School students were recently challenged to look at themselves and others in a completely new way in order to help reduce bullying and create a more peaceful world.

From Oct. 4 to 6, Calhoun High School in North Merrick hosted the Challenge Day program, which promotes social and emotional learning through various exercises and activities. Challenge Day has reached more than a million young people in 400 cities, 45 states and five provinces in Canada since it started in 1987.

“We’re happy to have it here,” said Calhoun Principal David Seinfeld, “and we’re looking forward to it being an important three days for us.”

The nonprofit, California-based Challenge Day organization sent two representatives to lead the workshops. According to its website, the group challenges individuals to “step out of their comfort zone,” and helps participants begin to recognize stereotypes and labels among them.

According to Seinfeld, many Long Island districts have brought the program to their schools, but last week was the first time that a Bellmore-Merrick Central District school hosted it.

Brian Joyce, a Calhoun social studies teacher, first learned about the Challenge Day program on TV, and then began incorporating its lessons in class. He said he later learned that Oyster Bay High School was having a Challenge Day program, and he, along with one of the school’s health teachers, Keri Cinelli, visited the school last winter to participate. “Afterwards, we decided that it would really be a disservice to the students not to bring it here,” said Joyce.

After gaining approval from the Central District administration to host Challenge Day, Joyce and Cinelli had students raise money to bring the program to Calhoun. Over the past year, students held bake sales and obtained gift cards from local restaurants, which they raffled off. In addition, Joyce and Cinelli gave presentations to local groups, receiving donations from the Kiwanis Club of Merrick and local boosters clubs.

“Calhoun’s a great school, but there is always room for improvement,” said Joyce. “And I think it could really open the students’ eyes to what their actions are and the consequences of their actions.”