HOW IT BEGAN

Judy Greenman, parent and civic leader from the Florida Keys experienced a powerfully motivating one-day workshop, Challenge Day, in California. Judy had a vision to bring this workshop to her community of Marathon as a necessary response to the increased violence, substance abuse, suspension rates, and incidence of teen depression and suicide among high school students in Monroe County.; She raised funds and support to bring Challenge Day to Monroe County School District in 2000. After a year of successful implementation of Challenge Day and the educators and community supporters recognized the need for extensive follow up to the workshop. Monroe Youth Challenge Program was created to facilitate that need. Today MYCP provides year round programming for youth throughout the county.

MYCP addresses the underlying causes of these behaviors with: 1) motivational workshops and community events for youth that build positive empathic relationships with peers and adults; 2) leadership classes that promote community service projects and mentor relationships among teens; and 3) adult mentors who provide ongoing, follow up support to students.

Using a research-driven model (Search Institute’s Forty Developmental Assets) of youth developmental asset building and outcome-based assessments, MYCP works to mobilize the community around the healthy development of its young people. This mobilization occurs through community advocacy and organization, education, community service, mentoring, and technical assistance.

Monroe Youth Challenge Program together with its partners serves more than 9,000 students in public and private schools and several youth centers by focusing on regional areas on the islands of Key Largo, Tavernier, Plantation Key, Islamorada, Marathon, Sugarloaf, Big Pine Key, and Key West. A complete list of the schools and our partners is at the end of this page for your reference.

History of Challenge Day

The Challenge Day program is the cornerstone program that has reached hundreds of thousands of youth since its inception in 1987. This nationally recognized, award-winning daylong program has proven benefits of reduced teen drug, alcohol and tobacco use, reduced student absenteeism, and reduced teasing and violence in middle schools and high schools. The Challenge Day program provides participants with the tools to tear down the walls of separation and inspires them to live, study and work in an encouraging environment of acceptance, love and respect. 

Challenge Day, the organization, was formed in January of 2001 and operates as a 501(c)(3) non profit tax exempt organization to assist schools financially to host Challenge Days and to provide a structure for the Challenge Days Mentorship Programs to reach a national and international audience. 

Motivated by memories of their own teen experiences and fueled by the desire to instill positive change in the world, Yvonne and Rich St. John- Dutra created the transformational and award-winning Challenge Day Program 14 years ago. Through Challenge Day, hundreds of thousands of young people have seen the power of love and compassion transform their schools and their communities. 

Since its inception, the Challenge Day program has received numerous awards from the Juvenile Justice System, the D.A.R.E. Officers Association, government officials, and many school districts and cities nationwide. The Challenge Day program has been featured in the New York Times best seller, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. In April of 1999, after the tragic incident at Columbine High School, Yvonne and Rich were asked to bring the Challenge Day program to Colorado as part of the healing for the greater Denver community.