A three-day program from April 9-11, "Breaking Down the Walls," led 450 students through a series of games and activities geared toward increased understanding and conversation among the school's large and diverse population.

The April event had such a positive response that the high school wants to bring the program back in the fall.

"Breaking Down the Walls" is meant to build strong school communities. In the past the program has also helped "rebuild" communities shattered after tragedies, such as the Columbine High School shooting, said Phil Boyte, Learning for Living program creator who established the workshops in 1992. The California-based company has provided community-building programs for schools across the country and in Canada.

Boyte said that in many high schools, students build invisible walls that exclude others. One of the program's mottoes is, "It's hard to hate someone whose story you know."

During each day of the program, "Breaking Down the Walls" speaker Stu Cabe led up to 150 students, three teachers and two administrators through five to eight "experiences," or games designed to help students and staff learn more about each other.

Junior Caitlin Edmunds and senior Michael Morales said one of their favorite games was Crossing the Line.

A group lined up on one side of the room and Cabe read a series of statements, asking students and faculty to cross the room if a statement were true.

The questions were tame in the beginning. One of the early questions had students with driver's licenses crossing the line while those unlicensed stayed back. As the game progressed, the questions became more intense, such as who had lost a loved one, or who had considered committing suicide.

When Cabe asked, "Who has struggled with an eating disorder?" Caitlin watched as one of her closest friends crossed the room.

"How did I not know?" Caitlin said.

The activities were developed to show the high school students they are not alone in their problems, Foster said. The program exposes students to each other's struggles.

Caitlin and Michael called the three-day event eye-opening. It has taught them to "cut people a little slack."

Boyte said students like Caitlin and Michael can influence their friends positively by treating others with "a higher level of respect."

"You can be able to see someone in the hall and not be afraid to smile," Foster said.