“I think it’s the reason all of us came to Avenues, to do amazing work”. Teacher Colin Hill said this while retelling what his 16 pre-k students put together for friends, teachers, parents, and the community at the ONE Event: The Pitangueira Smelly Socks Run, a student initiated (and baptized) project. And mind you: “we called it a run, not a race, to tap into that collaborative spirit”, he points out. The kids organized it all – from handing out water to runners and blowing the whistle to making t-shirts and medals. And on D-Day, 75 runners showed up for the run around the Pracinha, including parents, kids of the same age – both from Avenues and the neighboring communities – and participants with special accessibility needs.

Throughout the semester, these pre-k students were introduced to breathing, mindfulness, setting goals, pushing themselves, stretching, pre-run diet, and the impact that music can have on your performance. And this was just one among 50 projects presented by teachers and students to 1,200 peers at the ONE Event. “It’s great having all of these people, coming together in the same space, to not only join their amazing projects, but to see how they can partner, make each other stronger together. Pretty cool stuff”, Colin Hill sums it up.