CAMDEN – Students of Camden Rockport Middle School’s sixth grade demonstrated passion and persuasion Wednesday, April 4, in the school gym as they hosted a Kids Conference for Change. The conference combined language arts and science to demonstrate a need for change, while offering solutions. The public was invited to attend.

As the students said, “We’ll take it from here.”

Jamie Stone, principal of CRMS, said the conference was a opportunity for students to take on a cause and practice leadership skills.

“Skills that sometimes get overlooked in schools like communication and persuasion with a purpose rather than persuasion for fun,” she said. “Students have picked topics they are passionate about. They learned the structure of good research and then good persuasive communications with the community to try and create change.”

Stone said when kids feel powerful and important, good things happen.

“They are walking around with their heads held high and they are dressed nicely,” she said. “They are proud of their work and that is a positive energy in the school that I love. I’m really grateful for all the work of the sixth grade team.”

Camden Select Board member Allison McKellar was at the conference.

“This is all right up my alley,” she said as she toured the many kiosks.

“So much of it applies to municipal issues,” she said. “I’ve already recruited a few of the students to come and speak on certain budget items to the select board.... We have kids that are coming up with fantastic proposals and educating the community.”

Coal-fired power plants, offshore wind power, solar powered cars, Luci Lights, recycling, wind power, local framer’s markets, solar highways, solar panels, stop deforestation, space junk, hybrid and electric cars were just a few of the topics.

Alexandra Turner, Bella Ward and Sara Ackley analyzed the environmental difference between eating peanut butter and jelly sandwich versus a hamburger.

“Eating a PB&J could save you 2.5 pounds on CO2 emissions,” Turner said. “280 gallons of water and 12 to 50 square feet of land could also be saved.”

To demonstrate, they were giving away PBJ samples.

We debated crunch verses smooth and different types of jams and jellies. They had decided that raspberry made for the best PB&J. We also discussed all the alternatives for peanut butter should someone have a peanut allergy. They had done their research well.

Jessie Odgren, sixth grade language arts teacher at CRMS, said part of the conference was dedicated to writing a letter.

“The kids wrote a letter to someone they thought could make a positive impact to their change or claim that they chose,” she said. “A lot of kids wrote to the school administration saying they wanted to change something at school.”

Odgren said letters were written to the Camden Select Board, NASA, and senators. Susan Collins and Angus King got a lot of letters. Letters were also written to Donald Trump.

“We only sent them out last week and haven’t gotten any responses, yet,” she said. “We’re hoping. When we do they will be given to the students. We’re hoping to share some of those responses back out to the community.”

This is Odgren’s second year at CRMS and her second year doing the conference.

“We kind of thought about this idea because we have to do argumentative writing,” she said. “These kids are at a really awesome period of their lives. They’re hearing a lot more and thinking a lot more about things that are going on around them and I wanted to teach them that it’s amazing to have opinions about world issues, but it’s really important that you know where that comes from and if that’s true: has it been based in evidence to support your ideas.”

Emmet Marshal wrote a letter to Camden Select Board member John French concerning renewable energy at the municipal level.

“I believe that he can help make a change,” said Marshal. “The letter was about putting renewable energy on the buildings that are owned by the town.”

Zachary Gilbert wrote a letter to Sen. Angus King. Gilbert wants to end the use of landfills in the state.

Emma Stone wrote her letter to CRMS principal Jamie Stone. In it she presented an argument for longer lunch hours.

The gym was alive with a symphony of voices as students, adults and parents toured the displays and listened to arguments about change. Students were even supplied with brochures and handed them out freely to help make their points.