Schools

Inver Grove, Burnsville Teachers Attend Summit Sponsored by Columbine Victim's Family

Two Dakota County teachers were able to attend the conference that focused on bullying and respect in honor of Rachel Scott, the first victim in the 1999 mass shooting, via a grant from Dakota Electric.

Two teachers from the Dakota County area recently attended the Rachel’s Challenge Educational Summit in Plano, Texas, June 27-29, through a sponsorship provided by Dakota Electric Association.

 Jennifer Bordonaro, of ISD 191 (Burnsville, Eagan, Savage), and Jessica Hallin,  ISD 199 (Inver Grove Heights), learned strategies to replace bullying and violent behavior with kindness and respect.

Rachel’s Challenge, a non-profit organization started by the Scott family after the Columbine shootings in 1999, hosts the conference. 

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Rachel Scott, whose life was marked by kindness and compassion, was the first victim in the tragic shootings.

“I had an amazing time at the Educational Summit,” Hallin said. “The event was life-changing.”

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“I have been deeply impacted, both personally and professionally,” Bordonaro said. “I'm looking at ways to equally impact the students of Independent School District 191 in the upcoming school year and in years to come.”

The educational summit provides educators with an opportunity to learn practical classroom applications for social and emotional learning. Speakers at the event include: Darrell Scott, motivational speakers Dr. Rick Rigsby and Kyle Maynard, educator Erin Gruwell, 2012 National Teacher of the Year Rebecca Mieliwocki, and others.

Dakota Electric has sponsored the Rachel’s Challenge program for many local high schools in the area and saw this as another way to help schools provide a good learning environment.

“We saw this conference as a way to continue the positive support of our schools through a proven organization,” Peggy Johnson, Dakota Electric’s community relations director, said.

A member-owned, non-profit utility since 1937, Dakota Electric Association provides electricity to more than 102,000 members throughout Dakota County and portions of Goodhue, Rice and Scott counties. 

Information for this story was provided to Patch by Dakota County Electric


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