The Aki Kurose Peace Garden at Laurelhurst Elementary will reopen after a significant renovation in early June.
The Peace Garden, originally dedicated in 1997, has been renovated into a green space with new plantings, design elements, irrigation systems, and three benches.
As an educator, Aki Kurose dedicated her eighteen years at Laurelhurst Elementary to raising student awareness of the importance of peace. At the age of 16, Kurose, was sent away as part of Executive Order 9066, which ordered the internment of Japanese immigrants and Japanese American citizens. She was committed to ending injustice and worked publicly for peace for the remainder of her life.
Kurose often held class outside, encouraging her students to reflect on their feelings.
This project is funded in part by a Neighborhood Matching Funds award from the City of Seattle, Department of Neighborhoods, the Laurelhurst PTA, and significant volunteer effort from the community. (end)
For more information, email Rachel Howard-Hines at find_rachel@yahoo.com.