A pair of secondary students in Langley are using their Grade 12 Capstone projects to reconnect with, and give back to, their elementary schools.
Before the winter break, Walnut Grove Secondary student Elena Facer returned to Alex Hope Elementary and asked students there to donate books they were no longer reading. For every book donated, a student received a ticket, which could be redeemed for a new-to-them book a few weeks later.
"But I also collected from the community, so other kids get to bring home books as well," she said. "I really just wanted everybody to have something fun to read over the break."
Brookswood Secondary student Emily Condon, meanwhile, spent hours earlier this school year giving back to her old school, Alice Brown Elementary, through art by designing and painting a mural on the wall of the school's office.
The mural depicts a bear - the school's mascot - as well as salmon.
"Art is my passion, and I was curious about how I could connect my passion to the broader community. I concluded that painting a mural in my old elementary school would be a great way to give back and extend my art skills," she said.
"The imagery in my mural represents community, bravery, and curiosity. Bears represent strength, family, and courage. These are conditions and qualities I wish for all students to have."
At Alex Hope, Facer spent time collecting books, and after hours spent organizing them in the garage of her family home, she returned to the school few days before the winter break and put all the books on display in the school's foyer. Throughout the day, individual classes took turns stopping by to browse the collection and redeem their tickets.
The excitement among young students was noticeable, as they rifled through piles and boxes of books in search of their favourites.
"You can clearly hear the excitement in the air. Students want to read, they want to be engaged with books, and frankly, we are over the moon when kids are excited about reading," said Alex Hope Elementary principal Nathan Erker.
Facer said the inspiration for the book-exchange project came from her own time as an elementary student.
"I myself really love books and reading, and I know in elementary school I always wanted to bring home all the books from the library," she said. "So this was just something I thought kids like me would enjoy."
"I really wanted to instill a love of reading and literacy in these students," she added.
The students were a big part of Condon's project at Alice Brown, too.
"They inspired my process," she said, adding that she visited with seven different classes to speak to students about her project as well as about their elementary school experiences.
Condon, noting that she hoped her mural would be a focal point for people visiting Alice Brown Elementary, said completing the project, which took over 40 hours of work, at her old elementary school "was a full-circle moment" and helped her prove to herself that she is capable of taking on and completing a big project.
