KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Students at South Knoxville Elementary School had a chance to hear the first lady of Tennessee speak about an annual initiative that encourages young children to spend some of their summer vacations helping others.
Maria Lee spoke about the fourth annual Tennessee Kids Serve Summer Challenge at the school. It starts June 1 and will last through Aug. 1, encouraging elementary-school-aged children to spend some of their time helping others in their community.
To complete the challenge, kids must complete an activity in at least four of eight service categories. Families can register for the challenge online, and students who complete the challenge will get a certificate of recognition signed by Maria Lee.
"I think getting kids at a young age to serve helps show them kindness, compassion, empathy, builds self-esteem, helps with their emotional well-being and it gives them a sense of purpose," said Lee.
Kids who complete the highest number of service hours during the challenge will be invited to a Summer Service Carnival at the Tennessee Residence in Nashville with Governor Bill Lee and first lady Maria Lee.
Since the challenge started in 2019, more than 800 kids have participated and served a total of 3,420 hours in the communities. Officials said the goal of the challenge is to help children develop a love for serving others.