George Edwards wasn’t sure what, exactly, he was getting into when he threw his hat into the ring at Lake Orion High School’s inaugural Challenge Day in 2007, but as the parent of four children’two LOHS grads, a junior and a middle-schooler’he was happy to volunteer.
The experience, he said, was unforgettable.
‘I heard things that blew me away,? Edwards said. ‘I was so overwhelmed that first year, it didn’t really sink in.?
So he went back last year to do it all again, and he’s signed up to serve as an adult facilitator this year, too’all three days if they need him’when Challenge Day arrives at LOHS March 16-18.
‘It’s very emotional, and very rewarding,? he said. ‘At the end of the day, the place is just electric.?
Part of the school’s Unity Week, Challenge Day is a California-based nonprofit organization built on a day-long, interactive program designed to inspire youth and communities to ‘Be the Change? they wish to see in the world.
According to the group’s website, Challenge Day leaders first help create trust and connection by encouragizing participants to step out of their comfort zones and recognize stereotypes and labels within the group through music and games.
Participants then begin let down their guard and are able to connect, talk and listen.
Much of what Edwards heard as he listened came as a surprise; kids shared stories about things he didn’t think existed at LOHS, or in the home lives of its students.
‘Violence, abuse, alcoholism, drug addiction; all the stuff people don’t want to hear or talk about, all the things you assume only happen at other schools,? he said. ‘We’ve got it here, too.?
Many who’ve been through the program, which accommodates 100 students per day for three days say it’s powerful and meaningful. Life-changing.
In just three years, the event has gained tremendous support within LOHS, as well as in the surrounding community.
Since its beginning in 1987, Challenge Day has served more than one million youth in 400 cities, 45 states and five provinces of Canada.
It’s even been featured on Oprah.
Mindy Stubbs was a sophomore when Challenge Day arrived at LOHS for the first time in 2007.
‘I saw the Oprah thing and thought ‘That could be cool, but I know the people at our school and I don’t think they have those kinds of stories,? she said.
Like Edwards, she signed up and walked away surprised to learn so many at her school did indeed have a ‘story.?
But, more often than not, she noticed, they feel alone in the story and keep it to themselves.
During the six-and-a-half hour event, Stubbs said she found an exercise called ‘Walk the Line? particularly convincing in its illustration of the similar stories shared by her peers, but also the impact one person can make.
She gave an example: ‘They might say ‘Walk the line if you’ve ever been harassed about your weight,?? Stubbs said. ‘It’s really powerful to see someone out there and think ‘I really hurt their feelings because I called them fat one day.??
It’s those kinds of realizations, said Zac Abeel, LOHS Social Studies teacher and Leadership Development Workshop Advisor, that make a difference.
‘So many kids who come to school every day that aren’t thinking about their classes,? he said. ‘They’re thinking about what somebody else is thinking about them. The emotional and mental bullying is really brutal on our young adults.?
From the perspective of the adults who work hard to organize Challenge Day and raise the funds’about $15,000-$20,000 total for all three days’to bring it to the school, he said, the ultimate goal is to have people see each other for what they are’other people.
‘None of us are perfect, we all have faults, we all have moments of weaknesses, he said. ‘But in the end we’re all people. Why can’t we see each other for that??
Abeel said he’s proud of the academic offerings at LOHS, and the student achievement, but also feels experiences like the one brought on by Challenge Day are a good indicator that kids need more.
‘Everyone’s a little bit leery in the morning and gravitating toward people they know,? he said. ‘By the end of the day, everybody’s hugging, everybody’s laughing, everybody’s smiling. Maybe it’s the education we need to be giving more of.?
Michele Novak agrees.
An LOHS counselor, Novak was the driving force that first brought Challenge Day to the high school in 2007. Like others, she heard about the program on Oprah, but then went the extra step to check it out.
‘Just participating in it was the selling point,? she said, noting she rounded up a group of her own peers after learning the program was scheduled at a Hazel Park high school. ‘You can see it on Oprah, you can read about it, but until you participate you really don’t know what it’s about. It’s hard to describe how it affects you. It’s hard to describe how it affects the way you feel about your community and your school.?
But she doesn’t worry about describing it so much as demonstrating it.
‘I like to be front lines with the kids,? said Novak, who spent 10 years in Detroit law enforcement before realizing she was better suited to work on the other side of things. ‘I like to work with the kids that aren’t real easy to be loved or cared about.?
At LOHS, she said, her caseload of some 300 students defined as at-risk need more than she can provide in an ordinary school day.
So she spends a lot of time working one on one with kids outside regular school hours, working on various projects with the North Oakland Community Coalition, or learning about the next thing she can use to bring a positive impact to LOHS.
Why?
‘I get involved because it sends a message to the kids in the community,? she said. ‘I do the things I think are right.?
Other Unity Week events include the Mr. LO contest, Wednesday, March 17 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. in the LOHS auditorium and the Hypnotist, Thursday, March 18, 7 p.m-9 p.m. in the LOHS auditorium.
Event planners say the community is welcome and encouraged to attend; both events are free and appropriate for all ages.

Want to help?
‘About one adult facilitator is needed for every four students participating in Challenge Day. Adults participate fully in the program, which means volunteers should be willing to play, listen and share at their own comfort level. Volunteers are asked to arrive 30 minutes before the Challenge Day starts, commit to participate in the entire day, and stay 30 minutes after the day ends.
‘Can’t give up a whole day? Volunteers are needed in many other capacities during Unity Week. Call Michele Novak at 248-693-5638 or send her an email at : mnovak@lakeorion.k12.mi.us.
‘Donations are also needed to cover the cost of Challenge Day, which runs about $15,000-$20,000 total. Checks can be made payable to Lake Orion High School, with a Challenge Day notation, and sent to Lake Orion High School ? c/o Michele Novak, 495 E. Scripps, Lake Orion, MI 48360