Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Event Planning Guide

Gather people to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his impact on American culture and history. Find activities for a variety of ages and create memorable lessons in your place of worship, school or neighborhood.

In the Classroom

• Plan an interactive day for elementary school children to learn more about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life with coloring stations and arts and crafts. Incorporate kid-friendly volunteering ideas to help students take part in acts of service.
• Middle schoolers can draw a timeline of Dr. King's historic events and talk about each one as a class. Over the upcoming weeks, celebrate African American History Month as a class and discuss topics like freedom, justice and nonviolence resistance. Encourage students to organize their own service projects that benefit others.
• Have high school students read through the resources offered by Stanford's Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute. Task them with explaining what document, photo or publication stands out most to them and why. High schoolers can also organize their own fundraiser benefiting a worthy cause related to Dr. King's life.

With Your Church

• Plan a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day service project with your small group to celebrate his life. Discuss how your group can incorporate community service initiatives on a regular basis.
• Have your youth group leaders plan a community service outing for students either the weekend before the holiday or the day-of since most are out of school. Create a 24-hour prayer sign up and have people pray for the community and nation.
• Gather a team to serve in the community sometime during January or February. Read an excerpt of King's publications and talk about what it means to you and how it relates to your service project.

In the Neighborhood

• To celebrate King's life, host a weekend potluck gathering or contact your local library to see if they are already planning an event you can join. Send an online sign up to your neighbors asking them to RSVP to attend. Post about it on the Nextdoor app to share with surrounding neighborhoods as a way of increasing awareness of this important holiday.
• Many children are out of school on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and parents seek out options for childcare. Plan a full day of fun activities for them at a local youth center, YMCA branch or church building. Publicize this free or low-cost option to parents with a sign up. Send each child home with an art project and a note about the impact of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's life.
• Think of ways your neighbors can gather and serve together year-round. For example, plan a fall scavenger hunt, a winter ancestry activity to celebrate African American History Month, a spring carnival for neighborhood kids and a summer backyard party with games. Start a year-round meal group to provide food for families in need and small gifts for hard-working teachers. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. advocated for neighbors to unite around a common cause, and organizing ongoing opportunities for your neighbors does just that.

Bring your community together to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this January. By incorporating education and acts of service, you can join hands with others to celebrate a life of justice and hope.