On Tuesday, the 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 7th grades, along with several 5th grade members of the We Act Club, attended the second We Day Kentucky event, a celebration of service learning for students.  Guest speakers and performers including Mayor Greg Fischer, jazz pianist Harry Pickens, Kentucky cellist Ben Sollee, and 14-year-old motivational speaker Sydney Brouillard-Coyle encouraged students to find a spark to ignite their passion for service and to get their "boots dirty" in taking better care of the world and of others. During a "working lunch" session, students participated in a small-group activity to exchange service ideas with students from other schools. In the words of the students:

"We Day is a celebration of service learning. People all across the U.S. and Canada come to hear people like Sydney, Ben Sollee, and the mayor talk to us about service.  You can't buy a ticket to We Day.  You earn it by doing service... I think the speaker that impacted me the most was Sydney. Sydney is a 14-year-old girl that does service all around the world.  She made me feel like I could do it, too, that I can change the world. I am so thankful I got to go to We Day. It is an experience I will never forget."  Caroline Frederick

"Overall, Mini We Day this year was energizing, inspiring, and motivational.  At some points in the show there were messages from the speakers that made you want to jump out of your seat, run out the door, and immediately do anything you could to help your community or the world.  I think Mini We Day this year did a good job keeping you both on the edge of your seat or thinking deeply about what you could do to change the world in a positive way."  Thomas Fogarty

"Mini We Day was probably one of the best field trips we went on this year. It was fun yet informative and it inspired me to help the world more."  Holly Yelton

"Lunch was very fun--meeting kids from other schools and discussing what their service projects had been.  It helped me see that kids really can do great things to help the world.  We Day made me feel that what our school does for service is a really great thing."  Connor Gorman

"All the speakers taught me one thing that I'll never forget.  Don't worry about what you can't do; it's about what you can do. All those kids in the Kentucky Center are changing the world. It might take a while, but we can solve those problems out in the world. I know that with all those kids in that room, we can do anything. We've just got to be willing to get our boots a little dirty."  Amelia Dimas 

The 5th grade class had an exciting journey to Natural Bridge. The kids enjoyed geological hikes with explanations from Brian, a resident naturalist, about rock formations and critters living in the park. This first overnight
trip with their peers prepares students for the later overnight environmental education trips they take in 6th through 8th grades. On the Natural Bridge trip, the kids enjoyed dining on Southern comfort food from the buffet in the lodge; spending time together learning how to build campfires; calling a Barred Owl; passing and holding salamanders and other diurnal creatures; and appreciating the special geologic features found in Eastern Kentucky. A treat this particular visit was the surprise layer of wet powder snow that fell overnight. It was the perfect mix for snowballs and snowmen to share with friends. An excerpt from a student reflects an activity soon after we arrived at the lodge: "Soon after we finished our lunches we headed outside and embarked on our hike. When we first started our hike, we headed for a cave that was up ahead. The [ranger] began to tell us about the native fossils of Kentucky. Soon after we began to look for these fossils in the cave and found one...Eventually after leaving the cave, we soon climbed up the Natural Bridge, which is one of the coolest things I've ever seen."