Always held on the fourth Tuesday of September, it fell on Sept. 23 this year. It is important to note that in public schools, this event can and does happen if it is initiated, organized and led by students. There are more than 100 ministries that support this event.

Not to be confused with the “National Day of Prayer,” held annually in May, “See you at the Pole” invites students to proclaim their faith by offering up prayers together for lifting up family, friends, schools and nations.

Warren County Christian School students in Youngsville, offered up prayers by all ages, k-12. The opening ceremony included a history of “See You at the Pole” read by a high school student. Hearing the hearts of our youth is a precious opportunity for adults to remember their own “child-like” faith, inspiring hope in us all, especially in current hard times.

St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Warren participates in the International Peace Day, which was on Sept. 21. “Pinwheels for Peace” is an art project which began in 2005 by two art teachers. It is an event where thousands of students make and decorate pinwheels to symbolize peace and hope. A current sixth-grade student read the following: “This day was created by the United Nations General Assembly in order to designate a day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire. Our school prays together on this day because we know that everyone has a role to play when it comes to promoting peace.”

This photo, taken by Mollie VanOrd, shows St. Joseph’s Catholic School participating in Pinwheels for Peace.

Bible groups are somewhat uncommon, however there are some across the state. Red Bank Valley School District in New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in nearby Clarion County, has had a Bible Club run by students for more than 6 years now. It has even been featured on the (CBN) Christian Broadcasting Network in 2017. Over two-thirds of the student body are part of this club.