BANGOR – The Acadia Hospital coordinated two weeks of Challenge Days during the end of October and beginning of November for more than 600 high school students from nine different schools throughout northeastern Maine. The days were part of Acadia Hospital’s Community Conversations Youth Wellness and Violence Prevention program, made possible in part by a $3,000 grant from the Junior League of Bangor.

Challenge Day features a one-day workshop for high school or middle school students, teachers, parents, administrators, counselors and members of the community that successfully addresses the issues of violence, racism, teasing, stereotypes, tobacco, social oppression, drugs and alcohol in the context of school life.

The students and volunteer adult facilitators experienced a series of games, activities, group discussions, icebreakers and trust-building exercises that helped them learn how to break down the walls of separation and create new levels of respect and communication with their peers, their teachers, their parents and themselves.

Bucksport High School was one of the area schools that hosted a Challenge Day for some of their students.

According to Bucksport High School Principal Tom Sullivan, “Challenge Day was incredible! We again had a great turnout of kids. Typically with these kinds of events, kids are reluctant to participate. Not so with Challenge Day. It has become a positive bonding experience. I have had numerous reports from students, teachers and parents on how well the day went. I had one parent in particular call us and say ‘I don’t know what you did today, but my son has changed.’ She said they sat and talked about things that had been bothering them like they had never done before.”

Hermon High School has hosted Challenge Days for students in its sophomore class for four years now, and this year the school hosted two days to accommodate all sophomores.

“To watch students and facilitators reach a level of comfort and openness in a matter of six hours is amazing,” said Hermon High School health teacher and Challenge Day coordinator Shelley Gavett. “The days proved to be enlightening, empowering, and uplifting and I want the feeling to last forever.”

Schools which held their own Challenge Days were Hermon, Searsport, Bucksport, Brewer, Stearns of Millinocket, Schenck of East Millinocket and George Stevens Academy in Blue Hill. Foxcroft Academy in Dover-Foxcroft and Deer Isle-Stonington High School sent students to the Acadia Hospital Challenge Day held at the Bangor Y’s Camp Jordan.

Plans are already under way for coordinating another series of Challenge Days in the fall of 2006. Any interested schools can contact Alan Comeau at 973-6166 or acomeau@emh.org.

Challenge Day is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the positive transformation of social forces within schools and communities through the power of love, compassion and tolerance. To learn more, go to www.challengeday.org.

A member of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, the Acadia Hospital is a private, non-profit psychiatric and chemical dependency hospital located in Bangor, with clinics in Blue Hill and Pittsfield.

Acadia is the first psychiatric hospital in the country to achieve Magnet Hospital status. Additionally, Acadia Hospital recently received the 2005 Eagle Feather Award for a nonprofit organization from Maine Businesses for Social Responsibility. The award recognizes Acadia’s ability to successfully blend environmental and social responsibility with sound fiscal management. Additional information can be accessed at www.acadiahospital.org.