by Marshall School Staff
The city of Marshall, Alaska has become very elder-friendly. This is because of the students in Ms. Riste’s 5th/6th grade class. Last school year, the class was searching for ways to help their community. While the students stood looking out over the main road from their classroom window, they saw that elders and people with babies and people walking with heavy loads had no place to sit and rest. They decided to build benches for their community.
Last year, Erik Fitka joined the interested students in the woodshop and the students built two benches. This year, the students wanted to make sure all the places where elders might have to wait had benches. Three more benches were built. Kathy Duny and Wes Pitka worked with students. The benches are now located at the airport, in front of the school, at the city office, at the intersection linking the clinic and post office, and along the way to the airport.
The response has been very positive. The students are thinking they might like to build for other communities.
