Photo: Chantelle Deacon

If you happened to walk around downtown Vernon Tuesday, you may have noticed a group of young students walking in a row briefly stopping to admire the murals.

Coldstream Elementary students from grades 3 and 4 we taking part in a little project.

"We are studying the murals of Vernon because it's all the history of our community and how the pioneers started in Vernon," said Heather Fester, Coldstream teacher. "The students did the research and Mrs. Gendron helped them write in first-person the parts that they spoke today."

About a month ago each student was asked to write a one- to two--minute script explaining one of the many beautiful downtown murals.

After working hard to learn the history of their given mural, they had to stand bravely in front of their classmates and parents, microphone in hand, while explaining how the artistic paintings came to be.

"It's huge because every time they go by the murals they can tell people about them forever," Fester said. "Especially the ones they have studied and hopefully they have learned a little bit about each and every one."

Fester, and now-retired School District 22 teacher Linda Gendron, have worked together on the project for 20-years.

If you have ever had either one of them as a teacher in the past two decades chances are you know a whole lot about one or two of Vernon's murals.

The fun exercise teaches students a lot more than just about the murals themselves, says Gendron.

"They learn confidence and speaking skills as well."