First it was Cristo Rey St. Viator College Prep in North Las Vegas and today it is Saint Viator High School in Arlington Heights. Both Viatorian schools brought in a nationally recognized workshop, aimed at strengthening campus culture by building empathy and understanding.
Students play an icebreaker to warm up.
Called Breaking Down the Walls, its message is simple yet powerful: “We are truly better together.”
The entire student body at Cristo Rey St. Viator attended the one-day workshop last year, and today, Br. Rob Robertson, CSV, brought the workshop to Saint Viator. The program drew more than 240 students to sign-up, including 50 student leaders who spent Monday training to help facilitate engagement.
They were led by Michelle Young, a 2002 Bishop Gorman alumna and former Student Activities Director there. She facilitated the workshop at Cristo Rey St. Viator and when Br. Rob first experienced it in 2017, when he was in Campus Ministry at Bishop Gorman High School, which was started by Viatorians in Las Vegas. He saw its impact firsthand — and the difference it made in students.
Facilitator Michelle Young with Br. Rob Robertson
“Its goal is to create a culture where people feel seen, heard and included,” says Br. Rob says. “The workshop empowers students to be themselves and realize that we are all in this together.”
Breaking Down the Walls was created by Phil Boyte, a California native who also created the LINK Crew leadership program, also used at Saint Viator. The inclusion program was designed 30 years ago to build an inclusive culture in organizations and schools.
Specifically, the program creates a safe environment for students to build empathy and understanding through its “play, trust, learn” model.
“By first helping students laugh together, they start to trust one another, and eventually want to learn from those outside their normal friend group,” program officials say.
Associate Ann Perez joins in the fun.
According to officials with Break Down the Walls – which is now managed by the organization Ignite2Unite – the outcomes of the program for schools are powerful. For starters, the programs strengthen social and emotional learning (SEL), by specifically building social awareness and relationship skills that are vital to student growth and success.
Over the course of the day, the workshop brings students together to make meaningful connections and positive relationships. It leads to building empathy and understanding – and a thriving campus culture.