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X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://americanswhotellthetruth.org/
X-WR-CALNAME:Americans Who Tell The Truth
X-WR-CALDESC:AWTT crafts collaborative educational and community experiences that illuminate the ongoing struggle to realize America’s democratic ideals and model the commitment to act for the common good.
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CLASS:PUBLIC
UID:MEC-0b3f44d9054402de39441e165a4bdfe0@americanswhotellthetruth.org
DTSTART:20251104T150000Z
DTEND:20251104T190000Z
DTSTAMP:20251103T184300Z
CREATED:20251103
LAST-MODIFIED:20251115
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:4
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:Samantha Smith Challenge Launch
DESCRIPTION:\nAWTT will welcome middle-school and high-school students and their faculty sponsors for the 2025-26 Samantha Smith Chellenge kick-off event at Orono High School on November 13, 2025. In 2025-26 the Samantha Smith Challenge is getting a redesign. Instead of ending the SSC year with a big celebration of student projects—as AWWT has done in past years—we’re flipping the script, starting with a launch. Think inspiration over culmination. This will be a high-energy event that sparks curiosity, introduces students to real-world issues, and helps them gear up to take action. It’s not about what they’ve done—it’s about what they’re about to do.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis year’s program theme is “Find Your Tree!” – inspired by environmentalist Julia Butterfly Hill ( https://americanswhotellthetruth.org/portraits/julia-butterfly-hill-2/ )‘s portrait quote:\n\n\n\nWe all have our own version of a tree-sit that’s out there waiting for us. It’s our life’s calling. There’s a “tree” for every one of us, and this tree can call us to be bigger than we believe ourselves to be and to create a life that is more amazing than we can imagine. What’s your tree?\nTo get students motivated for the months of work ahead, portrait subject Maulian Dana Bryant ( https://americanswhotellthetruth.org/portraits/maulian-dana/ ) will speak to them about her early organizing roots – as a Native American high school high school student advocating against racially steriotypes as team mascots.  And young activist Amara Ifeji ( https://americanswhotellthetruth.org/portraits/amara-ifeji/ ), a Bangor High School graduate, will relate – via video – her stories of struggle as an outspoken teenage opponent of racism in her school. \n\n\n\nFor the past ten years, the Samantha Smith Challenge (SSC) has proven to be a compelling project-based educational program, designed as a dynamic service-learning project that builds a bridge between the classroom and the world. Issues come alive when students are able to connect with AWTT portrait subjects who have actually fought for the same causes students identify.\n\n\n\nConnect with AWTT experts and activists today and bring the SSC to your students. The Samantha Smith Challenge encourages every student and classroom to take the journey of truth and hope and begin building bridges of understanding right now.\n
URL:https://americanswhotellthetruth.org/events/samantha-smith-challenge-launch/
CATEGORIES:Events
LOCATION:14 Goodridge Drive, Orono, Maine
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