Want to help break a Guinness World Record and spread positivity all around the world?
The non-profit organization, Kids for Peace, is coordinating an initiative to create a 110 mile-long paper chain, made of links containing messages of love and positivity. Once the chain is assembled and the record officially set, portions of the chain will then distributed to libraries, nursing homes, hospitals and other community organizations as a visible reminder that we are all connected.
The initiative hopes to use links created from people from all over the world, and that of course, includes Monticello. Emma C. Chase Elementary School Social Emotional Wellness Facilitator has been coordinating the effort locally working with students and staff to create homemade decorated links.
But with a goal of 5,000 links and a total of 700 submitted so far, we need your help!
Follow the steps below (steps and photos from Kids For Peace’s website)
1. Gather Recycled/Reused Paper – Let’s be mindful of the environment. We plan to make the entire paper-chain from recycled or reused paper. The weight of the paper should be thin enough to easily mail/bend and thick enough to create a sturdy link in the paperchain.
Suggested materials: cereal/food boxes, craft paper scraps, brown paper shopping bags, large mailing envelopes.
2. Measure & Cut Links – Each strip must be between 11 inches – 18 inches long and 1.5 inches wide. You may make as many links as you’d like. There is no limit per person!
3. Decorate Links with Love & Hope – You can get as creative as you’d like as you share messages of LOVE and HOPE for the world, however we ask that you avoid gluing 3-dimensional objects that may create waste/litter when assembled. Use markers, paint, crayons, sharpies, pencils or pens. We will feature many of the links on our website and on social media to inspire the world.
You can drop off your finished links to the main office of any Monticello school building by the end of the school year. *Please keep links flat, and do not attach them to one another* Ms. Swensen will mail all links to the Kids for Peace organization. To help defray the cost of mailing 5,000 links, a $1 donation is appreciated, but not required to participate.
Check out some of our students’ work so far:
