Welcome to R.E.A.C.H. 2.0!

R.E.A.C.H. IS THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AT ROTHERGLEN

R.E.A.C.H. is a unique socio-cultural initiative, developed by Eileen Lanigan, Founder, and Director of Rotherglen School, and Shirley Nickorick, Educator and Student Leadership Advocate to support the building of community and strong social engagement. Through the power of intention, the R.E.A.C.H. community is actively engaged in self and social advocacy, centred on relationships, with the goal of creating a sense of belonging for each member. The genesis of the idea came through the story of two sisters, Eileen and Frances, who were able to find joy and triumph in the face of the loss of Frances by creating the idea for a joint legacy. The R.E.A.C.H. story is a poignant reminder of how relationships and the need to belong in a community and to be loved are vital to us. The creation of R.E.A.C.H. honours the life of Frances, her love of children, and her desire to impact young lives. If you want to learn more about Frances’s story, read here.

R.E.A.C.H. allows students to express their youthful exuberance in a positive and purposeful way, fulfilling their developmental need to belong and to establish their own personal identity. In short, it empowers our students to find their voice and step out of their comfort zone to make a meaningful impact in their school and local communities. It brings life to our vision of Empower, Inspire, Unite. I can truly not think of a better way to prepare our students for their future, than providing an opportunity that is anchored in a sense of exploring who one is and who one aspires to be. R.E.A.C.H. is also a form of expression of gratitude to our families that have supported our growth over the past 33 years. You have defined us as a caring learning environment, distinguished us as a community that understands the value of raising awareness of the need and creating empathy for others. Thank you.

— Eileen Lanigan

The story of R.E.A.C.H. is a deeply personal story for Eileen Lanigan, one of love and loss, and of finding hope in a seemingly hopeless time. “R.E.A.C.H. was born out of the “Power of Intention” a place where many good causes originate. It was inspired by the greatest of all virtues – the virtue of love, which transcends all things. It is also a story of valour and courage, the likes of which I am not sure I will ever witness again in my lifetime.” At its very core, R.E.A.C.H. speaks to a soul’s yearning, and the deeply human desire to find meaning and purpose in a life cut short.