Lunch that day was a frenzy of people rushing from table to table, talking with friends and snatching flyers from organization’s tables before they were all gone. People briskly headed to their usual lunch table, pizza in hand, before pausing as their eye caught a particular table of interest. Students filled the Academic Mall at Sage Creek High School that day, as they enjoyed the informative presentations of a collection of organizations and what they offer.

This special lunch period was last year’s Job, Internship, Volunteer and Educational Expo, more commonly known as the JIVE Expo. After last year’s success, the PTSA took it upon themselves to bring back the exciting expo for the 2018-2019 school year.

This Wednesday, Feb. 20, students will once again be able to interact with businesses and organizations that provide jobs or volunteer opportunities to students. A few of the memorable organizations attending this year are Hands of Peace, Legoland, Ralphs and Jersey Mike’s.  

One of the organizations coming to the JIVE Expo this year is Hands of Peace. Hands of Peace offers a unique chance to connect with Jewish-Israeli, Palestinian Citizens of Israel and Palestinian teenagers to learn more about their lives.

A dialogue based program, Sarah Heirendt (the San Diego Site Director for Hands of Peace) describes Hands of Peace as an organization that allows students to have the chance to talk with Israeli and Palestinian kids from the Middle East about a variety of topics, including: “conflict, politics in America, gender issues, gun violence and events going on at the border.”

The benefits of partaking in a program like Hands of Peace are numerous.

Heinrendt explains that students, “critically think and learn valuable communication skills and also learn what [their] role is in [their] community, as an activist, as an organizer, as a leader for change.”

Hands of Peace is an immersing experience that students can remember for the rest of their lives. This year, the program will run from July 10-29. Those interested in learning more about the program, or applying to it, can find their website and applications: Hands of Peace.

This year the JIVE expo is hosting many organizations that offer a lot of opportunities to students, including Hands of Peace, so head on down to the Academic Mall during lunch to take a look.