Share Fair highlights Potter Gray students writing skills and vision for Bowling Green’s future

BOWLING GREEN, KY. – Students, community members, and city leaders participated in Potter Gray’s first share fair, where they combined the students’ writing skills and their perspective of what Bowling Green could be when they become adults.

Keith Brown, Principal at Potter Gray Elementary School, tells us, “The big vision, and the takeaway, not only to become better writers through this process, but to become better community members, to be able to look to see what our community can be in the future. We have a lot of bright young students, we have a lot of individuals who are engaged in our community.”

Being a child is an evanescent experience, and creating a space for students to gain knowledge about work they could be doing helps them beyond the classroom

Sutton Gilliam, a 5th-grade student says, “It’s giving US, like, a lot of confidence because we’ve talked to many different people, like Ms. McClure. I do think Ms. McClure, because she’s so, like, kind and so helpful with it. If we ever need any help, she’s just like, yeah, I’m the ONE to go to. And I feel like it’s a good learning opportunity.”

Wendy McClure, the 5th-grade writing teacher, says, “It’s not just on turned in a homework assignment, but that, you know, they can have a voice and they can make a difference. Our kids could look at what was happening in the 2015 project and do this together. So we just decided to merge the two events and let the kids imagine what life would be like when they’re 35. In Bowling Green.”

As the students come up with and present their ideas, they have a unique opportunity to be a part of shaping the future of this city for generations to come.

Sutton also says, “It’s important because like, we’re going to, we might have kids here, and I feel like it would be so cool just to have something that like, we were a part of to have like our kids and grandkids and great grandkids to be like a part of, too.”