Martin Luther King Jr. Day evolves into a day of service Anne Charneski of the Volunteer Center of Brown County talks about the life of Martin Luther King Jr. during a presentation at Chappell Elementary School Monday (photo by H. Marc Larson). Schools celebrate racial equality, diversity and explore service By Anna Krejci News-Chronicle Martin Luther King Jr. Day, in addition to being a day for commemorating the life of the civil rights activist and acknowledging the values of racial equality and fairness, has evolved into a national day of service. The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency promoting Congress' 1994 legislation that encourages community service acts on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, according to a Jan. 16 news release from the agency. The Volunteer Center of Brown County, 984 Ninth St., is one local organization that is promoting volunteerism in honor of the day. Staff from the center made presentations to 500 students at Aldo Leopold K-8 School, 622 Eliza St., and Chappell Elementary School, 205 N. Fisk St., on Monday. According to Devorah Vineburg, agency services coordinator for the volunteer center, the Martin Luther King Jr. Day curriculum they use is unique in its focus on volunteerism, community service and citizenship. Volunteer center staff led a morning presentation for approximately 35 first and second-graders at Aldo Leopold school. The class was asked to define words such as "prejudice", "nonviolent resistance" and "segregation" while they reviewed the history surrounding King and the civil rights movement. The class also defined "volunteer." "Volunteers are people who are willing to do something," said second-grader Stephanie Blair. Community service has a place in Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations, according to Sue Premo, community relations director for the volunteer center. "Martin Luther King Day presents a number of great opportunities for the community to come together." She cited the celebration of diversity and acceptance of others, and acting on King's vision of doing service as reasons to unite. "What are you doing for other people? He (Martin Luther King Jr.) thought that was the most important thing to do with your life," Vineburg said to the students. Vineburg encouraged students to design and enact there own community service projects in honor of the day. Within the past three years, similar presentations by the Volunteer Center of Brown County have been made at Fort Howard, Tank and Ann Sullivan schools.