“We weren’t just talking about helping people; we actually got to do something to help.”
October 28, 2026 – Every year, the International Day of Peace brings people around the world together to celebrate peace and inspire action toward a more compassionate, connected world. This year, schools participating in WPDI’s Domestic Harmonizer Program embraced the theme, “Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day,” turning its message into meaningful moments of creativity, connection, and kindness.
Across 12 schools, more than 2,000 students and 84 educators celebrated through activities that showed peace isn’t just an idea, it’s something we can build together.
At Lake Center Middle School, nearly 180 students connected over board games, cards, and video games. At Rivera Middle School, seven student peer mediators led activities for 450 students, turning a Peace Chain and collaborative puzzle into lessons in kindness, empathy, and conflict resolution.
At North Park Academy, students planted succulents and made pinwheels, reflecting on how peace needs care to grow. For one student, caring for a plant became a way to think about nurturing peace: “You really need to plant it with love and being careful with the plant, kind of like with keeping peace.” Another student reflected, “I really liked today’s activities. Peace is something you have to work on everywhere.”
At Paddison Elementary, more than 120 students painted colorful Peace Rocks for their school library. The students enjoyed the creative expression, with one sharing, “I really enjoyed painting rocks! Not only are they relaxing but it makes our school look Awesome!” Another student captured the day’s message in three simple words: “Peace Rocks! We need peace in this world all day, everyday!”
At DNA Prep Academy, students, staff, and families put compassion into action by preparing lunch bags with handwritten notes for people experiencing homelessness and organizing a clothing drive. As one student put it, “We weren’t just talking about helping people, we actually got to do something to help.”
Meanwhile, Cypress High School students made peace bracelets and also decorated rocks, using the activities as a chance to slow down and get creative. One student shared, “I learned that doing calm activities like a hobby can make you more peaceful.” Another said, “I really liked the lunch time activity because it gave me a place to go that was chill and I could relax while making a bracelet.”
Students at Switzer Learning Center created a “Garden of Peace” and explored what it means to build a peaceful community.
From games and gardens to acts of service, every school found its own way to invest in peace. The celebration may last a day, but the lesson carries through the school year: peace isn’t a single event, but a daily habit. Every act of kindness, every conflict resolved, and every connection made is an investment in a more peaceful future, one that these students are already helping to grow.
In partnership with
