Suicide, School Violence & Bullying Prevention Program
Create through Kindness
At Rachel’s Challenge, we create change. We know that hope is the antidote to fear. We know that kindness is contagious, that compassion connects us, that empathy can end isolation. We teach these positive tools and skills to address the causes of school violence and self-harm directly at the source: we don’t treat the symptoms, we cure the disease.
Born from the life and legacy of Rachel Joy Scott, the first victim of the Columbine school shooting, Rachel’s Challenge encourages students and educators to replace judgment with empathy, fear with hope, and apathy with action.
Our Programs
Programs That Fit Your School’s Needs
Every school is different. That’s why our offerings are tailored to fit each learning environment, from foundational character-building in elementary school to student leadership and culture change at the high school level.
Elementary School
Tools for kindness, empathy, and respect.
Middle School
Support for healthy connections and healthy choices.
High School
Leadership, resilience, and real conversations that save lives.
Conferences & Keynotes
Inspire school staff, parent groups, or district leaders.
Our Programs
Tell and Show
Stories are powerful. We tell the story of Rachel Scott, the first victim of the Columbine school shootings. Rachel was just an ordinary teenager in many ways, but she believed that kindness could change the world. She wrote about it, talked about it – and acted on it. After her death, stories emerged of the little things Rachel had done that had made a big difference in the lives of those around her.
Our programs show what kindness looks like; what it feels like. We teach simple and easy ways to reach out and connect to each other through our school violence prevention programs. We model positive behavior that is compassionate and empathetic. The results are life-changing.
Built for Every School Community. Non-Political. Non-Religious. Universally Impactful.
Single Day Events
Student-Led Change
We know that teachers, parents and leaders are stretched thin. We’ve designed our student-led program for a minimum level of effort from faculty, with maximum support and flexibility. With both digital and live options that work separately or together, we adapt to your needs – while respecting your resources.
A Rachel’s Challenge program is the simplest, most powerful thing you can do for your community. Our signature event can happen in just one day.
Why it Works
Hungry for Connection
By modeling a positive way to interact, we invite people – students, teachers, parents, everyone – to see each other differently. To see themselves differently. We show them the power they have inside to ease the struggles that others feel, even as they rise above their own.
And something astounding happens: people get excited. They can’t wait to flex their new kindness attitudes. It turns out that many of us are hungry for connection, searching for hope, and waiting for permission to be vulnerable and reach out. We say: permission granted. The change you’re hoping for is ready for you to
awaken it.
Evidence-Based Programs. Results That Matter.
A Chain Reaction
Our programs are grounded in peer-reviewed research and used in thousands of schools each year. It doesn’t just save lives, it improves them. Behavior improves. Attitudes improve. Test scores improve. Participation improves. Students that feel safe and connected are better able to retain information, because security enables memory encoding. They are more curious, because their cognitive functions are not inhibited. All of which leads to more confidence and resilience.
Be Part of the Solution
Whether you’re ready to bring Rachel’s Challenge to your school or want to support our mission from afar, your action today can help save lives and transform school culture.
We Help Schools Address Today’s Toughest Issues
From bullying and teen suicide to digital safety and mental health, Rachel’s Challenge equips schools with practical tools to address today’s most urgent challenges.
Bullying
Create a school culture where kindness and respect are the norm. Our anti-bullying strategies empower students to become upstanders, not bystanders.
School Violence
Address the root causes of school violence before they escalate. We help schools foster safer environments through proactive connection and support.
School Shootings
Early intervention and student engagement save lives. Rachel’s Challenge has been directly credited with preventing multiple school shootings.
Gun Violence
Equip your campus with tools to reduce threats and promote peaceful conflict resolution. Compassion and connection are your best prevention strategies.
Teen Suicide
Help students see their value and build resilience before a crisis hits. Our programs have led to hundreds of suicide interventions, and lives saved.
Mental Health in Schools
Support student mental wellness with practical, peer-driven tools. We make mental health approachable and actionable across every grade level.
Self-Harm
Students in pain often turn inward. We help them turn toward hope, connection, and trusted adults instead.
Digital Citizenship
Teach students to lead with empathy; online and off. Our approach builds awareness around digital behavior, responsibility, and emotional impact.
Positive Behavior Support
Reinforce a culture of kindness through consistent, student-led behavior models. Rachel’s Challenge enhances PBIS and other campus-wide systems.
Real Stories, Real Change
It Started With Rachel. It Continues With You.
Every day, students choose kindness because of Rachel’s story. Educators rethink how they lead. Campuses grow safer, closer, and more compassionate. These aren’t just anecdotes; they’re ripple effects of a single life and a single challenge.
Recognized as a top non-profit
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