Grant Elementary students, parents and staff recently came together to honor the legacy of civil rights icon, Ruby Bridges.

Through participating in a national walk named in her honor, students learned the valued of courage, inclusion and standing up for what is right.

Grant Elementary Principal Jill Burnside said there was great support for the event.

“We have easily over 100 kids show up, and then we have parents on top of that,” she said.

The school held the walk during the school day last year, but this year, PTA organizers and Burnside moved it to before school to better reflect Bridges’ experience. They arranged a central meeting point so students could walk together as a group.

“We decided to try it before school, because that's more authentic—walking to school,” Burnside said. “The goal is to raise awareness of who Bridges is and the importance of the difference that one person can make. It’s about standing up for what you believe in and for things that are right.”

Burnside reinforces those values through school rallies focusing on different traits, such as friendship, flexibility, problem-solving, generosity and giving.

Teachers supported the walk by discussing Bridges in their classrooms, using picture books, videos and discussions.

“We asked teachers to talk about it in their classrooms and they tailored the lessons to the age of the students that they teach,” she said.

AAA provided backpacks, flags, stickers and bracelets for students who participated.