A local motivational speaker is making a difference for fifth graders at Hickey Elementary School.
Jay Blair recently taught a workshop, encouraging students to embrace their empathy.
"Their understanding of this stuff runs way deeper than we give them credit for," shares Jay. "A lot of times, they just need the opportunity to open up to have a safe place, to feel like they're not going to be laughed at, to feel that somebody really cares to hear their opinion and perspective."
Jay has brought his workshop to schools across Clark County School District, though Hickey Elementary holds significance as Jay used to be a fifth grade teacher at the school.
He hopes what the students have learned, stays with them beyond the workshop.
It's something one fifth grader, Danahi took away. "People sometimes go through rough things, and we do not know about it, and we should learn to appreciate people every day."
"I hope that next time they're in situations where they have the opportunity to practice that empathy and practice that kindness, it's right on the forefront of their brain in a way that they're not just practicing it because they were told to, but because they understand and feel the value of being an empathetic person," said Jay.