 With the weather now ideal for outdoor activities, many groups and organizations are hosting 5K events. In this week's Community Spotlight, our Josh Peterson introduces us to a group of first graders who are hoping to make a big difference for those in need. Just like that, dozens of runners and walkers hit the pavement of Bemidji's trail system for the schoolcraft learning community's first grade crew, transportation, 5K fun run and walk. What is unique about this event was that the entire idea and concept came from a class of very observant first graders who wanted to help those who are homeless get around town. We're going to raise money for the homeless shelter and get bus tokens. As part of their transportation expedition, the first grade class felt and believed that they could make a difference. They even impressed their very own teacher by drawing attention to a need in their community. If people are at the homeless shelter and they don't have a home then they probably don't have transportation so they really wanted to help people who didn't have transportation be able to get it. The schoolcraft learning community takes great pride in hands-on learning experiences and providing educational opportunities in the community for its students. They're going to be doing more stuff like this rather than sitting down and taking tests. So while we do focus a lot on academic skills, we try to find projects that we can build in so that they're using a lot of real world skills. Village of Hope, a shelter who specializes in helping those in need, were truly touched at how caring and thoughtful these young kids are. For first graders to really understand that at a really deep level is pretty amazing. The many proud parents who attended the event felt so impressed by what the young generation had done, creating a strong sense of pride and hope for their community's future. It makes you think about the life skills that they'll have later on as the parent and even just as an educator. For these kids, they were happy to help out their community and feel that it's their responsibility to make not only their city, but our country a better place for everyone. It makes me feel like the country is depending on our class to make our just one little place feel happy. With this week's community spotlight in Bemidji, Josh Peterson, Lakeland News. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.