Libertyville students plant Pinwheels for Peace

Students and teachers at Highland Middle School in Libertyville planted pinwheels on the school's front lawn Monday as part of a project to mark the International Day of Peace.

Under the direction of art teacher Cindi Sartain, more than 900 students took part in the program by creating paper pinwheels with messages of hope and peace.

"This is a program set up a few years ago to illustrate the need for peace in the world from the children's perspective," Sartain said as she helped students with the pinwheels. "The students wrote their wishes for peace and pictures of peace on their pinwheels. The students are very familiar with it because they've done it in previous years and it means a lot to them."

The colorful pinwheels were planted in front of the school in the shape of a peace sign.

"It's fun to come out to help Highland put out the pinwheels and help them setup Pinwheels for Peace," said seventh-grader Mia Vernasco. "It's very nice that they care and that we can make a difference."

Two art teachers, Ann Ayers and Ellen McMillan, from Monarch High School in Coconut Creek, Florida, began the art project in 2005. They were looking for ways students could express their feelings about the world's conflicts and stress in their own lives.

According to the Pinwheels for Peace website, about 500,000 pinwheels were planted when the program began 10 years ago. By the time Highland began participating, there were more than 3.5 million pinwheels being planted across the country annually.