At the beginning of March, Kevin Garcia was able to attend the first ever International Young Environmentalists Youth Summit in Buford, GA. This was a very long trip and Kevin showed a lot of patience and maturity during the 12 hour drive each way. He was with a group of students he had never before met but his charm and sense of humor quickly won him friends. Even though he had never before traveled with strangers, Kevin was able to have a lot of fun and learn a lot.

During the summit Kevin took part in discussions regarding current environmental issues and was always willing to share his thoughts and ideas. He was full of ideas about alternative energy as well as how we use plastics. There were a lot of opportunities for students to have fun while at the summit as well. During one of the sessions students were given plastic bottles to use in making recycled art projects, Kevin’s became a little octopus. There was a dance break at another point and Kevin eagerly joined in.

On the last day the students went to a park where they noticed a lot of trash laying around. Kevin, and the other students, began an impromptu park cleanup. They loaded their arms with bottle caps, pieces of string, discarded wrappers, and bits of paper. This was not an organized activity but a service project that the students took upon themselves to complete. During the trip Kevin exemplified what it means to be a Kid Power student.  He was kind, knowledgeable, patient, and ready to learn! All of these qualities that Kevin possesses were on display in March making him Kid Power's Student of the Month!

Andre is a 4th Grade Kid Power student at Tubman Elementary School in Columbia Heights. He is February's Student of the Month because he embodies the ideals and spirit of a Kid Power leader.  He is respectful, on task, a great team player, and willing to help without being asked.

During Kid Power, staff sometimes ask students to step outside of their comfort zones and try new things. During a Veggie U lesson, students were asked to try a variety of vegetables that were both familiar and unfamiliar to students. While most students decided to try the vegetables they were comfortable with, Andre was the first student to eagerly try new vegetables. He even  encouraged his classmates to do the same. 

Andre is also a leader among his peers by promoting non--violent conflict resolution. One time, Andre and his friends were playing football outside and the game started to get rough. When a Kid Power staff asked the students to stop pushing each other, one of the boys proclaimed, "We're boys! This is what we're supposed to do!" But Andre acted as a peer mediator and convinced his friends that they should play a little less rough so no one would get hurt. 

Andre is a joy to have at Kid Power and serves as a great example for other students.  For this reason, we’re happy that he’s the Kid Power Student of the Month!

A little more about Andre:

Favorite subject: Math
Favorite Vegetable: Carrots
Favorite Sport: Basketball
Favorite thing about Kid Power: "I like Kid Power because we do fun things like go on field trips"

 Aliya is an extremely hard-working, diligent student. She is in the 7^th grade at Jefferson Middle School. Without being asked, she is one of the first students to get started on her homework during Power Hour.  Aliya always completes her academic assignments and will even forgo her earned “Wii-time” after school in order to spend more time finishing her homework.  When she finishes her homework early, Aliya is eager to help her peers in any way that she can!  

Her diligence at Kid Power has truly paid off and Aliya continues to make academic gains during the school-day. Students searching for a role model need look no further than focused, attentive Aliya.