Anne Bridgman launched CHALK4PEACE events at Ashlawn Elementary School and Unitarian Universalist Church in Arlington, VA.
Here is her story. Photos of the Unitarian Universalist Church are below; and can also be found in the Ashlawn CHALK4PEACE Gallery.

I’d heard about Chalk4Peace, seen signs around Arlington, and kept telling myself to find out
more about it. Finally, less than two weeks before the first event was scheduled to take place,
I typed Chalk4Peace into my computer. That’s when the magic began.

How could I not help bring Chalk4Peace to my daughter’s school, to my church, to anyone and
anywhere where there were children and an opportunity to learn about peace? With all the
headlines and news stories we read day in and day out—stories about war, about crime,
about violence and strife in our country and around the world—Chalk4Peace seemed one small
way to help bring up for discussion the important topic of peace. And who better to talk
about peace with than children, the people who will be leading the world tomorrow?

I asked the principal at my daughter’s school, Ashlawn Elementary School in Arlington, VA
if we could do a Chalk4Peace event there. He said yes. I spoke to the art teacher and
she had supplies. I put up signs and sent notices to teachers. We were to take part
in the project on Friday, September 15.

Next, I asked if the religious education classes at the Unitarian Universalist Church
of Arlington could take part. We set the date of Sunday, September 17, to have the children
from two groups of classes take part.

Friday, the 15th dawned rather cloudy, but the sky cleared, and starting at 11:15 a.m.,
the first group of students at Ashlawn came out to the back area of the school during recess.
They eyed the chalk I’d assembled on the blacktop (perfect area for drawing), looked at
the Chalk4Peace banner I’d hung between two trees, and asked what was going on.

“Today,” I explained, “we’re doing a project called Chalk4Peace. We’re asking students to
draw their visions of peace. Use your imagination. Draw whatever comes into your mind.
Here’s some chalk.”

With that, the children crouched down, colored chalk in their hands, and began to draw.
Soon, peace signs emerged, as did houses, churches, angels and doves. One boy drew a flag
from his native Mongolia, took my hand, and told me, “That’s my country’s flag.” Another
sat down and drew a smiling sun. Three girls got together to team up on a picture of a moon.
A boy sat in the middle of a large red heart, drawing circles around himself to amplify
the design. One girl asked me, “What is the color of peace?”

The first group of children left reluctantly, replaced by a second group, which drew more designs.
By 1:30, three groups had come out and the blacktop was covered with visions of peace. All the
kids said they didn’t want to leave. Many asked if they could draw peace again the next day —
even though it was a Saturday.

On Sunday, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, we held another event. The children
came outside and set to drawing their visions of peace. Each child had a picture of peace in her
or his mind, and each drew it carefully and with determination. By the time the adults started
streaming out of the church, the sidewalk was covered with vibrant visions of peace.

It was a great pleasure to be involved in this beneficial project.
I look forward to doing it again next year!