Challenge Day gives school’s the opportunity to positively grow their community, showing students they are more alike one another than they may think. “It is important for students to participate in Challenge Day because it is so important for students to have compassion for each other, and Challenge Day really helps students to know that they are not alone,” said Sulin. (Image courtesy of Challenge Day)

Challenge Day returned to Hollis Brookline High School on Nov. 20. The program helps students learn to connect through interactive activities to break down barriers within the school community, providing tools to shift into a positive mindset. 

“Challenge Day provides teens and adults with tools to tear down the walls of separation, and inspires participants to live, study, and work in an encouraging environment of acceptance, love, and respect,” describes the Challenge Day Program.

The day starts more light-hearted and fun, but soon gets more vulnerable as students feel more comfortable in the groups they are in. “The activities that lead up to deep conversations help people to feel safe enough to ‘drop their waterline’ and show some of who they are below the surface,” said Hollis Brookline teacher participant Elizabeth Sulin. 

Through this process, students see their peers and teachers in a different perspective. They eliminate any stereotype associated with an individual and get a better view into what everyone is going through. “We are all carrying ‘stuff’ around with us everyday, but sometimes we forget to be kind to each other,” said Sulin. “Challenge Day helps us to break down those judgments and assumptions that we make.”

The program’s goal as a whole is to allow students to be real with themselves and others. By opening up with the group you are a part of during Challenge Day, students will begin to feel a sense of belonging. “It was touching to see and hear other people’s stories. It made us all feel a lot more connected,” said student participant Mackenzie Talbot ‘25. 

Human connections and relationships are essential for mental well-being. “When we focus on cultivating deeper connections, we are better able to recognize and accept our similarities and differences, which fosters empathy and self-awareness,” describes an article titled The Importance of Connections on Our Well-Being, published by UC Berkeley

Lisa Danis, advisor of HB the Change who organized the event, believes that connecting with her students is the key to her success as an educator and connecting with humans leads to success as a person overall. “Challenge Day offers an opportunity for us to set aside academics, set aside preconceived notions of one another, and just connect,” said Danis. 

Hollis Brookline High School hopes to continue to work with this program in following years to allow students to further connect with not only themselves but each other as well.