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We Day: Our students will be the change that we want to see in the world

On Wednesday, April 25th, 8th grade Spanish Biliteracy students attended We Day to celebrate their local/global service learning projects and be inspired to make a positive impact in our local and global communities. On the We Day website, We Day is described as a, "WE Day is a powerful, life-changing experience with world-renowned speakers and performers, mixed with real inspirational stories of change." The day was inspiring and filled with back-to-back celebrity performances (like Jordan Fisher and Ally Brooke from Fifth Harmony) and inspirational speeches by world leaders like the former Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, and Margaret Trudeau. (Complete list of Presenters in WE Day Illinois).

In order to qualify for our local service learning project, 8th grade students researched local food challenges and support organizations before organizing and implementing a canned food drive that collected more than 200 non-perishable food items. Students reflected on how their efforts ensured approximately 50 meals for a family of four. Additionally, more than just the immediate impact of the food, students reflected on how they felt inspired to continue to support the community and develop professional/academic skills to support their service goals.

For the global project, students are researching access challenges to clean drinking water in Latin America including the biggest areas of need and potential solutions. Over the next few weeks, students will organize a fundraiser to donate to communities in Latin America with the most amount of water needs. For every $25 raised, we will provide clean drinking water for one person for life. 

We Day was amazing! However, I am most inspired to see our students transforming into productive members of society working collaboratively to solve local and global challenges. Our students are our future, and I am excited to work with them to help them develop a vision and a plan to form the world as it should be. See below my reflections during We Day as well as the students' reflections in Spanish using Flipgrid.






***To access more student videos on each topic, click on the hyperlink located on the top right of each video posted below***

What did you learn at We Day?


What inspired you most at We Day?


How are YOU going to BE the change that you want to see in the world?

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