What is a turtle?  This is a popular question in Sixth Grade! Turtles – in the context of the Sixth Grade Essential Questions class- are inspiring people who have overcome a challenge in their life and are now giving back to the community.  The year begins by selecting and interviewing a Grand Turtle, whose experiences and service to the community embody what we are looking for in a turtle. Our current grand turtle nominee is Taylor Davis, a woman diagnosed with Stage II Invasive Ductal Carcinoma who, despite many challenges, created the Eti Mae Foundation. Taylor’s foundation provides help for others going through cancer treatment with things such as childcare, grocery shopping, errand running, transportation to doctor’s appointments, and picking up medications, which are not supported by insurance but are vital to those undergoing treatment. Her foundation helps patients in the South Florida area, but she hopes to expand to other major cities. After completing the Grand Turtle interview, students in Grade 6 are tasked to think of people in their own lives who have truly inspirational stories and interview them to learn more about their personal challenges and accomplishments. Students craft a story about their turtles and celebrate them at our end-of-year Turtle Club Induction Celebration in May. This project helps students understand how challenges can inspire people to give back to their communities.