Engjaskóli's buddy bench
Students at Engjaskóli in Grafarvogur had Mayor Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir dedicate a buddy bench on the school grounds this morning.
The visit came about because Engjaskóli is a UNICEF Rights Respecting School with a Student Rights Council that works hard to protect children's rights at the school.
One of the Student Rights Council's many projects is fighting loneliness, so the council decided to request a bench for the school grounds where students can find each other to play together.
After democratic elections, the bench was named the "buddy bench," and this week Reykjavík Mayor Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir came and dedicated it to the delight of the students. The buddy bench was put to use right away.
A very entertaining article about the dedication and the mayor's visit is featured on the Reykjavík City website. The article also features a video that students made and sent to the city, in which they asked for a sturdy bench.
An important initiative from Engjaskóli's Student Rights Council and Fríða Kristjánsdóttir, a teacher who leads the project.