Lancaster Interchurch Peace Witness, in conjunction with Kids as Peacemakers and On Earth Peace, coordinated a Children’s Peace Education Mural Project during summer 2009. Using a faith-based curriculum developed specifically for this project, participating churches and community organizations helped children in grades 1-6 create murals that included their visions and images for peace in the world. Coordinators at the project sites were also encouraged to develop a plan with the children to create ways to work for peace that were represented in the murals they developed.

The Peace Education Committee chose as its first public event an exhibition of peace murals celebrating the International Day of Peace. Nineteen peace murals, created by elementary age children from urban, suburban and rural Lancaster County were conspicuously displayed at the last double-header baseball game in Lancaster Barnstormers' Clipper Stadium on September 19, 2009.

It was a bright and sunny fall day on the 19th and the children's bright, hopeful murals emphasized peace found in the values of friendship, tolerance, and fairness as envisioned by children in school, home, community and international relationships.

On the morning of September 19, volunteers from the various organizations tied the finished murals on top of their cars and pickups and brought them to the stadium. One hundred and fifty people came to the stadium that morning to celebrate the International Day of Peace, which was accented by an awesome performance by the "Drummers For Peace". Marie Rhoades from On Earth Peace held forth as the MC. The murals stayed on display during both games of the double header from noon to 9:30 that evening.

The children and their teachers who made the murals were from Alpha and Omega, Laurel Street Mennonite Church, the Iglesia de los Hermonos Church, The Church of the Apostles, East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church, Grace Lutheran Church, Hamilton Park United Church of Christ, Hempfield Church of the Brethren, St. Andrew United Church of Christ, St. John's Episcopal Church, The Second Grade Class at Lancaster Country Day School, Camp Fox Tales of Lancaster Monthly Meeting, Landisville Primary Learning Center, Mechanic Grove Church of the Brethren, Wayside Presbyterian Church, and the West End Mennonite Fellowship.

VIEW PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT HERE.