July 9-11 may be the days that 100 middle and high school students in the Heart of Virginia will use their ingenuity, creativity, resiliency and hearts to change the environment in their schools from fear to love.

This is the goal that Jenny McIntosh, Savannah McIntosh Huddleston and numerous educators and student leaders have for the Truth Empowerment Summit, taking place in July at Longwood University and the Robert Russa Moton Museum.

The three-day summit will equip students and their school counselors to learn about everything from the power of their words to removing labels that others have used to define them.

At the end of the three days, McIntosh said students and counselors will work together to put a plan in motion to create positive changes in their schools when they return in the fall.

Jenny and Savannah have taken a heartbreaking experience and are used it to empower students in similar situations. Their endeavor is so noble because they, and our teachers, counselors and superintendents, are stepping into the fray. They are staring directly into the issues that are affecting students firsthand: school shootings, bullies, social injustices. They are most importantly taking each step with our students, teachers, and parents, who may have felt they themselves have been carrying burdens created by our society.

Having been a bully and having been bullied, McIntosh presented a message about empowering kindness and courage to quash the bully’s influence that really resonated with me.

We have so many students whose voices are sometimes drowned out by the loud and vitriolic voices that enact violence and demeaning attitudes to each other.

No more. Let’s step out. Let’s support our students. Because they, and us, are going to do great things.

EMILY HOLLINGSWORTH is a staff reporter for The Farmville Herald and Farmville Newsmedia LLC. Her email address is Emily. Hollingsworth@FarmvilleHerald.com.