Main Street School students experienced the power of youth-driven community service when they engaged in a thought-provoking conversation with Braeden Mannering on Feb. 7.
Mannering, the subject of “Just One Pebble. One Boy’s Quest to End Hunger” by Dianna Wilson Sirkovsky and Sara Casilda — one of the school’s selected books for World Read Aloud Day, shared his inspiring journey of activism and leadership. His story began at just 9 years old when he won the 2013 Healthy Lunchtime Challenge, earning an invitation to the White House for the Kids’ State Dinner, where he met former First Lady Michelle Obama.
That experience sparked a lifelong commitment to service, leading him to establish Brae’s Brown Bags, a nonprofit organization that provides healthy snacks to individuals experiencing homelessness and food insecurity. His efforts have impacted thousands of people and positioned him as a speaker at schools, conferences and legislative sessions on critical issues like poverty and hunger.
The students were deeply engaged as they learned how one small act of kindness — helping a man in need on his way to the store — evolved into a nationwide movement. They asked insightful questions about expanding his organization across states, funding his mission, overcoming obstacles and balancing school with his philanthropic work. In addition, they explored the personal impact of his journey and how it has shaped his life, his confidence in public speaking and his growth as a young maker of change.
Mannering left students with an empowering message to dream big. His visit reinforced the idea that service can come from anyone, at any age.
The students’ experience aligned with the district’s Portrait of a Graduate, which aims to create courageous learners, effective communicators, engaged citizens and self-aware individuals.
“Braeden Mannering’s visit was an inspiring reminder of what it means to be an engaged citizen,” Principal Joyce Chapnick said. “His journey in creating 3B Brae’s Brown Bags and his commitment to fighting food insecurity demonstrate the power of young people to make meaningful change. By sharing his story with our students, he showed them that leadership, compassion and action can start at any age—and that they, too, have the ability to make a difference in their communities and be makers of change.”
