Early in the day Monday at Kellman elementary school, the stairwell wall in the West Side school was painted a festive bright pink with a mix of white letters and words layered on top, still coming together.

       By the end of the morning, the message had been completed: “Believe in yourself, learn, and never stop wanting to build a better world.”

       The quote by Mary McLeod Bethune, a daughter of former slaves who became an educator and national leader for civil and women’s rights, was just one part of Monday’s beautification of Joseph Kellman Corporate Community Elementary School, as more than 100 volunteers gathered at the North Lawndale school for a day of service on the King holiday.

       Volunteer Selina Hilliard, of the Chicago Sky, paints a hallway on Jan. 17, 2022 at Kellman School in North Lawndale as AmeriCorps members and volunteers teamed up on City Year Chicago's Day of Service for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

       The day’s work was sponsored by the City Year Chicago an organization that supports equity in education and partners with AmeriCorps to send members into schools on the West and South sides of Chicago to work as mentors and offer classroom support to teachers.

       But on Monday, with schools off for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, the task was physical labor: Painting hallways a fresh coat of blue, adding murals in halls and stairwells and prepping an outdoor garden for warmer temps.

       And in the spirit of King, the goal was to leave the school a better place than when they found it, said Myetie Hamilton, City Year Chicago executive director, who spoke to the Tribune by phone from the school.

       “When children walk in tomorrow they will feel empowered by the sense of beauty, (by) the beautiful murals they will see themselves in,” said Hamilton.

       Hamilton added that she wanted the girls at Kellman to be inspired by “giants” like McLeod Bethune. “The young girls can look at that and see themselves,” she said. “It allows them to dream, to connect with their rich histories and ... know that nothing is impossible.”

       Romi Lake paints a mural with other AmeriCorps members at Kellman School in North Lawndale, Jan. 17, 2022. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

       AmeriCorps members and other volunteers paint the walls of Kellman School in North Lawndale during City Year Chicago's Day of Service for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 17, 2022. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

       Kellman is the 31st Chicago school that City Year has worked with.

       The AmeriCorps workers were joined by other volunteers for the day of work, which was kicked off virtually by the local and national elected officials as well as community leaders.

       AmeriCorps worker Rebecca Hinz, 23, of Schaumburg, who also spoke to the Tribune by phone, said she hoped the effort would excite the students. Hinz likened Monday’s efforts to an ‘extreme home makeover’ from television.

       “It’s bright and colorful and really a boost for the second half of the year,” said Hinz, who as been working since August at a different City Year school.

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