Students at Lindell Elementary School put their dreams on display with a special project held in anticipation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Fourth-graders in Lisa Rundo’s class studied Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and as a follow-up exercise, expressed their own personal dreams using the open work environment and resources of the building’s Innovation Lab Makerspace. 

Students decorated boxes with words and pictures that represent their dreams. They adorned the outsides and interiors with handmade items, images and positive phrases that are meaningful to them. Some expressed their professional aspirations while others shared general messages about having goals. Many portrayed their hopes for the world, for nature and the environment. 

Leading up to the activity, Ms. Rundo provided students with ideas and a planning page that drew upon seven aspects of wellness as outlined in the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s School of Health Promotion and Human Development. Students expressed their dreams in the physical, spiritual, career, emotional, social, environmental and intellectual categories, and incorporated their responses into their designs and written plans. They then visited the Innovation Lab Makerspace to bring their ideas to fruition.

“The idea is to always have dreams and hopes and be able to make yourself happy by nurturing those categories,” Ms. Rundo said.