In honor of International Day of Peace on Sept. 21, Long Beach Middle School students in Laura Swan’s Art Classes joined The City of Melbourne in presenting a Digital Peace Dove Project. This initiative was held in association with the nonprofit organization Peace One Day and features the dove as a symbol of peace.

The Long Beach students created their own dove collage, which includes their individual artwork and representations of peace and kindness. They displayed their finished product outside the building where the LBMS peace pole is located. During a mindful moment of silence at noon, they reflected on the day’s messages as sign of school community.

Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world and focuses on three core themes: the protection of people, planet and wildlife. The 2021 theme was “Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world.” Peace One Day’s flagship event aims to raise global awareness of the day by engaging the global community and observing a minute of silence.