The previous pep rally was more than the usual fun-filled, high spirited gathering to hype up everyone for the Varsity football game. It was also a day to recognize international peace, which the student body and teachers of Chelsea High did by participating in the Peace Day Challenge.

Many students are probably still wondering, what is the Peace Day Challenge? The Peace Day Challenge is a program run by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), a non-partisan government agency, conceived under the Carter Administration, but not established until Reagan’s presidency.

The Peace Day Challenge centers its focus around building tranquility through real life activities and/or social media such as Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. The whole purpose is to show peace as the preferable alternative to the violence many people are so accustomed to seeing. The program launched in 2015, and with the help of social media and the #peacedaychallenge, it has reached 148 countries and over 104 million people, while also paving the way for related activities in more than 30 countries and around 40 states in the U.S.

So, how is all this connected to the pep rally? Just last summer, Coach Adams, an AP U.S. history teacher and baseball coach at Chelsea High, applied for the Peace Teacher Program. He recently received the honor of being selected as one of the four in the nation to be a part of this program. Part of this program included recognizing Sept. 21st as the International Day of Peace, which was done through the pep rally for the Pelham game. Peace Day was recognized through the banner (displayed in the above picture) and during the spirit stick chant, the letters U-S-I-P were chanted after Let’s-Go-Big-Blue.

There are several other ways to demonstrate and support peace and tranquility in everyday life. Here is a list of just a few:
– Help defuse or resolve a disagreement.
– Engage in an act of volunteerism or service to help those in need.
– Hold an event in your community to mark the International Day of Peace and raise awareness about peace issues that matter to you.
– Spread the word about an organization that’s working to help people affected by violent conflict.
– If you are in Washington, DC, walk the Peace Trail on the National Mall to learn about peace through history.

For more information, visit https://www.usip.org/programs/peace-day-challenge#students