Alden-Hebron Elementary School students finish veterans service project

HEBRON – After a yearlong service project, Alden-Hebron Elementary School fifth-graders created a book filled with stories and pictures of veterans who they interviewed in class.

The 28 students spent the year learning about veterans and recording interviews so they could write the final product, said Colleen Geils, who is co-coordinating the project.

Now students and veterans will come together for a book signing open to the public at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at Alden-Hebron Elementary School, 11915 Price Road, Hebron.

The school also is hosting a 5K walk/run at 10 a.m. Saturday at the school, Geils said. People can register by calling the school at 815-648-2442 or at 9 a.m. the day of the event.

The run will benefit the Marengo-based Oscar Mike Foundation, founded by
Poplar Grove man Noah Currier to help other injured veterans, like himself, through adaptive sporting events.

Currier was deployed to Iraq in 2003, and one of the veterans interviewed for the students’ book project. He said it was a “heartwarming experience” talking to the fifth-graders.

“I really didn’t expect everything that I heard and saw,” Currier said.

Students interviewed him twice, and Currier said at the second interview, the children became more compassionate in their questions and built a greater understanding of those who have served.

Eleven-year-old fifth-grader Jake Nielsen said one of the veterans his class interviewed was his great-great-uncle, who fought in World War II.

“I learned that veterans are people who deserve to be honored,” Jake said. “Because you really don’t notice that they do much until you hear their stories.”

Sarah Gulgren, special education teacher at Alden-Hebron Elementary School and service learning coordinator, said the 10- and 11-year-olds were better able to connect with the information they were leaning in their classes after the interviews.

“That connection sparked that drive to want to help people,” Gulgren said.