Bending the Arc

During the school days, October 20-23, 2025, approximately 400 first year students (100 each day), walked into an experience they were not expecting - 30 roaring adults lined up to welcome and cheer them on as they entered the small gym of Fond du Lac High School for Challenge Day. 

Challenge Day is an interactive anti-bullying program featuring music, exercises, impactful encounters, and discussions over one entire school day. It is led by two energetic, charismatic, and highly trained facilitators who themselves come from a background of overcoming trauma, where they relate openly, speaking honestly about their life experiences and provide stories of hope and inspiration. 

This was the fourth year in a row that United for Diversity and community supporters offered Challenge Day to the entire Fondy High freshmen class over the course of three to four days. Now all four current grade levels have experienced a Challenge Day in their time at Fondy High and together began creating a new culture at the high school. A few families opt to withdraw their students from this experience, otherwise all freshmen are expected to participate. Before it was more of an expectation, Challenge Day was optional and offered to Fondy High students for just one day, starting in 2008. Eventually, as more students talked about their experience, more became interested, and school administrators and staff saw the benefits of the program, the number of days the program was offered began to grow. It was stopped in 2020 because of COVID, but resumed annually in 2021.

A key component to the success each day are the adult volunteers, all of whom are required to complete a background check with the FDL School District. With an average of 100 students participating in the program daily, 30 volunteers are needed each day. Together, adults and students confront stereotypes and prejudices, underlying causes of bullying, and practice deep listening in their family circles and interactive group activities. The “cross the line” activity is probably what students remember the most. This is an experience that shows students they are not alone and stirs care and compassion among classmates, those they thought they knew, and those they never met before.

The Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes (CSA) has been an important sponsor of Challenge Day over the years. This year, CSA’s generosity supported one full day of the program. They also sent two staff members on day one and Sister Sue Seeby, CSA joined on day two. Sue shared, “I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in Challenge Day at Fondy High School. I was moved by the students' honesty and vulnerability as well as their compassion for one another. It was a very, very enriching experience. I hope to participate again.”

Dusty Krikau shared, “Listening to first year high school students remind one another that it’s ok to ask for help, that it’s ok to be vulnerable, and that they aren’t alone, is exactly what my soul needed. Seeing that vulnerability in action from adults and youth is a powerful and unifying event.”

Visit www.challengeday.org for more information and to watch a short video which beautifully shows what happens in this powerful workshop.