Since 1994 people of all ages have taken the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day slogan "A Day On, Not a Day Off" to heart by donating their time and talents to their communities on that day.  Martin Luther King Jr. desired to end segregation without the use of violence and to promote peace in communities around the world.  Just as important, he spoke of the need to build stable communities through service, stressing that we are all our brothers' keepers.

There is a wide range of ways that students can donate their time for this day, while gaining a better understanding of what Martin Luther King, Jr. did for the nation.  Through these activities, students can reflect on issues such as human rights, conflict resolution and the importance of service to the community, as well as other ideas for service-learning projects in the future.  
 
Students certainly know that Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a day off of school, but teachers should help them understand that the day is also ideally a day of remembrance and service.  With this in mind, many school districts have encouraged K-12 students to volunteer in a community service or service-learning project on MLK Day.  Your classroom or school can do the same by making MLK Day service a priority.

Whether students and community members work together to paint a mural of what freedom means to them or write stories of how service can change the lives of a needy community, MLK Day can provide fun and reflection for our youth.  While this day may be a day off for schools and workplaces, it certainly is not a day off for remembering what is important to society and creating community unity.  In this way, January 20, 2003 can join people of all ages, races, genders and religions together by remembering and honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream.