CAC Kick Starts “Be the Difference” Initiative with Visit from Author Elizabeth Bettina

CAC is excited to welcome author Elizabeth Bettina to the secondary campus tomorrow morning for a special program aimed at encouraging students to take action in serving and assisting veterans. Bettina is the author of the nonfiction book, “It Happened in Italy: Untold Stories of How the People of Italy Defied the Horrors of the Holocaust” and the creator and co-founder of “Be the Difference — Never Again,” a program that uses stories of individuals who did the right thing for others, even if it meant risking their lives, to teach students how to likewise take action when it’s not easy.

History teacher Lynnette Noble, who organized the event, said she hopes the program will teach students that learning about past wars and conflicts is only a small part in the path of responsible citizenship. “I hope we model for students a way to take action in helping those around them rather than expecting someone else to do so,” Noble said.

In addition to hearing from Bettina, the CAC high school students in attendance will enjoy a private viewing of the PBS special “Debt of Honor.” The segment is part of PBS’s “Stories of Service” initiative which seeks to build a new bridge between military and civilian cultures in the United States and to promote conversation about how Americans treat their veterans.

Noble said tomorrow’s assembly will kick start the school’s engagement in Bettina’s “Be the Difference — Never Again” program. The message behind it, Noble said, is that action after awareness is what is needed to make a difference in our society.

Local veterans have been invited to attend the program which will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the school’s auditorium. This event is also open to the public. Afterward, CAC will host a lunch for the veterans in attendance. To accommodate the assembly, the secondary campus will be on a modified schedule which can be viewed here.