LEWISTON, Maine — Under the direction of a Bates College junior and two Lewiston Middle School (LMS) teachers, a group of eighth graders will host a hands-on "Diversity Day" for 30 preschoolers from 9:30-11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, in the Lewiston Middle School Library.

Students in Diane Bleakney's class have written a book about diversity for the children visiting from Sandcastle and Leavitt's day care centers. The authors worked in cooperation with Chris Cook's class to plan a day of activities, including touching a live snake, dancing, singing, coloring, reading and photography.

"We're working with preschoolers because we feel that it is imperative to break down stereotypes when children are still young," said Kathleen Burke of Canton, Mass., the Bates student who has helped organize "Diversity Day" as part of a service-learning independent study in education. For more information about the activities, contact Burke by phone at 207-777-7632 or by e-mail at kburke@bates.edu.