Wheat Ridge campaigns teach power of individuals

By Tillie Fong, Rocky Mountain News

May 6, 2005

WHEAT RIDGE – Wheat Ridge High School students were devastated last fall when they lost three classmates to tragedy.

But rather than surrender to sorrow, members of several student clubs have used a character education program called the Power of One to launch a series of monthly activities to promote a sense of community at the school.

“They made lemonade out of lemons,” said Judy Hindman, a school counselor who worked with the students. “They really wanted to get involved and change the environment and support each other.”

Thursday night, student leaders at the school invited members of the community to learn about the Power of One program and what they have done with it.

“We wanted to show that high schoolers are making a difference,” said Nate Johnson, 17, a senior who is a member of the Youth Advisory Committee at the school.

“In the face of adversity, we’re not going to back down. We want to show people that we’re actually making a difference.”

The Power of One is a multimedia program that teaches students that individual decisions and choices, good or bad, can have a large impact on their lives, and that one person can make a difference.

“We tell real stories about kids or people who have made a difference,” said Steve Ribbens, executive director and co-founder of Companies4Kids, which presents the program at schools for free.

“We wanted to empower kids to make positive decisions and reinforce positive decisions.”

Last September, members of the Youth Advisory Committee saw the Power of One presentation at the Prevention Convention in Arvada. They were so moved by it that when Mackenzie Kingry, a 17-year-old senior, was shot and killed at a house party Oct. 24, they decided to bring the presentation to their school.

“A lot of people were really depressed. We had three deaths in the past few months – two shootings and one car accident – and it was very hard to lose three people who were seniors,” recalled Lyn Weyand, 15, a sophomore and member of the Youth Advisory Committee.

“We thought it (the Power of One program) related to our school. It really showed that no matter what you go through, you can pull through. It showed people can make a difference and if you can make a difference, you can make it through.”

The response to the program was overwhelming, and students decided to expand on the idea by having school groups come up with activities to promote different character traits each month.

January’s theme was the power of generosity, February was the power of the human heart, March’s theme was the power of friendship, April the power of influence and this month the power of unity.

Elya Slater, 18, a senior and also a member of the Youth Advisory Committee, said the monthly campaigns are having an impact on all the students at the school.

“I noticed a lot of bullying and name calling have gone down,” she said. “I noticed a lot of my peers are a lot more outgoing and comfortable with each other.”

– Tillie Fong, Rocky Mountain News