It was such a great experience to be back with the 4th grade classes at Robious Elementary School recently In Chesterfield County, Virginia. For the third consecutive year on Friday, April 28, 2017, I was excited  to accept  another special invitation by  Ms. Jackie O'Toole, fourth-grade teacher, on behalf of other fourth-grade teachers at this school. I visited them after they had completed their assignments on Civil Rights in general and my personal involvement in Civil Rights in the 1960's with the Richmond Sit-ins at Thalhimers Department Store.  I shared my exciting and scary experiences as in the past. This time I introduced to them a new way of finding balance in their lives with my foundation, Be Part of the Solution (BPOS).  A  5-pointed Star  was passed out to over 100 students. They were told to evaluate themselves within each ray on a scale from 0-10 to see how balanced they were, as well as to check with teachers to see if they were correct in their evaluation on a weekly basis. 

I also told them I was in the process of fundraising for them to get positive and successful books and materials and tablets to empower them to be more successful and to learn how contribute to society. These materials will include Supplemental Teacher materials for assistance with students. Many of these materials will come from books identified as success guidelines from the Napoleon Hill Foundation and other sources for students and teachers.

As soon as funding is accomplished, I will notify Ms. O'Toole to get resources to the school.

To Robious Elementary, thank you for remembering me and for the beautiful flowering Petunia Plant.
​Sincerely, Elizabeth Rice

I was invited to speak to the Robious Elementary School, located in Midlothian, Virginia on April 25, 2015 at 9:45 am. The fourth-grade teacher, Ms. Jackie O'Toole, found me on the internet and extended the invitation to me to speak to all of the fourth-graders about my civil rights experience in the 1960s.

The students had been learning about civil rights during the sixties and were working on the theme, "Can One Person Make a Difference?".

I told them that I was arrested on February 22, 1960, in the movement called "The Sit-ins" in Richmond, Virginia at Thalhimers Department Store. The thirty-four students arrested that day came from Virginia Union University and were a part of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, also known a SNCC. They followed instructions from Dr. Martin Luther King's teachings, who followed the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.

The fourth-graders had studied and knew all of the civil rights terms I asked them. They had intelligent responses to my questions and posed challenging comments and questions to me. They were the most inspiring young people I have come across in a long time.

It was a wonderful experience for me, a pioneer in the civil rights struggle, to hear the young people wanting to know how it felt and if I would have done anything differently. If you could imagine - 125 students were sitting on a carpet in the library, eager and attentive to my every word. I could see the desire in their eyes to do their part to make a difference in this world. I knew after this meeting, my real purpose and passion in this lifetime would be realized even more. My new mission is to become a connecting bridge between the old and the young, bringing together a greater understanding of this world and its many problems.

Before I concluded my remarks, I felt so much love in the room as I looked into their eager eyes. I told them how important they were and that someday they would make a difference in this world. I asked them to look at each person beside them and realize that these persons could be the next president, the next famous Dr. King, the next teacher, or someone of importance who may benefit the world. I told them to get to know people who don't look like themselves. Don't be fearful of meeting different people because you may lose out on valuable lessons. I told them I was glad to be there and that I loved them. I asked the to shout as loud as they could, "I love my life!". THEY HUGGED ME AND I HUGGED THEM BACK.

I gave the students an assignment, to write a 1-2 page essay on what that day meant to them. I will be back to award the top three essays written by the students with certificates and monetary gifts. We took pictures and videotaped the session.

Thank you to all of the teachers and students who made this day so special.