VIDEO: Breaking Down the Walls program unites Folsom High school campus
Imagine sharing the most personal experiences, the most vulnerable stories, to a room of hundreds of friends, peers, and strangers. Through the program "Breaking Down the Walls," more than 600 Folsom High School students had the opportunity to do so by participating in workshops spanning three days.
The purpose of "Breaking Down the Walls is to cultivate a positive campus culture and to encourage interaction between all students to create a unified student body. The program features topics such as anti-bullying, self-reflection, and community-building.
Junior Hafsa Khan said, "[Breaking Down the Walls] allows kids, high schoolers, to come in and just open up and feel like they're in a safe place to talk about their problems."
Assistant Principal Elizabeth Sisson helped bring the program to campus and was a participant herself.
"The whole premise behind it is that you can't really truly bully a student if you know their true story, what they're going through. It's an opportunity for kids to walk in somebody else's shoes for the afternoon," she said.
Both the reaction from staff and students who participated exceeded positivity. Activities Director Clif Castro said, "Many said it was a life-changing experience."
Counselor Mike Adorjan enjoyed the opportunity to participate alongside his students and learn more about them. "I enjoy just seeing the kids be on their level and not having to be the grownup necessarily, but have fun," he said.
Students learned of their peers' stories and connected with others they might not have interacted with on campus before. "I also learned a lot about specific people, especially who I thought were different, but they have so many problems going on. I can't even fathom why I thought what I thought of them before this program," Khan said.
"It was something I've never seen or imagined could be done at a school event before," said junior Sean Kniznik, "It changed it from a group of students to a group of close friends really."