LIVERMORE — Livermore Elementary School Civil Rights team members are committed to keeping their school a safe and happy place to learn and socialize.

“We’re teaching kids no matter what your differences are, you need to be respectful, considerate, courteous, and kind,” said Guidance Counselor and team advisor Grace Eaton. “It’s not just about race, color, religion, gender, or disability. It’s about accepting kids for who they are. One student at a time, that’s what it’s all about for me.”

Fifth grader Olivia Bolduc got involved with the team because “I wanted to make a difference, to make people nicer and do the right things,” she said. “To change our school for the better.”

The 22 second through fifth grade students on the team have learned about different biases, about not judging people simply because of their race, color, or otherwise. They are learning that what they say does make a difference.

“Sometimes, people make fun of what you do,” said fifth grader Lorelei Munro.

Caleb Parlin, a fourth grader, said judging people by their looks is wrong, while fifth grader Abby Ortiz pointed out that it’s also wrong to judge people by what they wear.

To help bring students at the school together, “Mix It Up” days are held each month; it is something that is done nationally. Ortiz said that Mix It Up Day is “When you sit at a table so you can make new friends.”

“Mix It Up Day is where you should sit with other people,” said Munro. “We make sure that at least one Civil Rights Team person is at each table.”

At one of the Mix It Up days, the students received different color tickets. Each student was required to sit at a table with students receiving the same color ticket.

A survey showed that most students wanted to do it again. It also indicated that they wanted to sit at a table by choice.

Later this year, “Be Yourself Week” takes place at the school.

“We’re going to have a week where we mix clothes up,” said Munro.

“You can wear your favorite color,” said Bolduc.

“Or decide what you’re going to be when you grow up,” Ortiz added.

Recently, the team went to UMF for Civil Rights Training, put on by Brandon Baldwin of the Maine Attorney General’s Office. They learned about biases through different projects and activities.

“We had this thing that we did at the beginning of the training where everyone was in the circle,” said fifth grader Kaylen Mitchell. “They said, ‘If you like snakes, step in, and if you don’t, step out.’”

One of the activities was a community circle, where all the different students from different teams shared their experiences.

This year, the Civil Rights Team will have new t-shirts designed by Bolduc, who won a contest amongst the team members.

“You had to take a piece of paper and sketch out different designs,” she said.

Her design is a Tree of Life, with different Civil Rights team messages on the branches. Black Bear Graphics, in Farmington, will be doing the design.