A Winning Team: Kindergarteners Secure Third Place in National Inquiry Competition

Our kindergarten learners have proven that you’re never too young to make a big impact. The grade recently earned a national third-place award in the "Inquiry Week" competition, hosted by inquirED, an organization dedicated to social studies and student-led learning. The competition challenged students to engage deeply with their curriculum and showcase how they use inquiry to understand the world. For our kindergarteners, the journey began with a simple but powerful question: “How can we unite to build a powerful class community?”

The start of the "My Team and Self" inquiry unit encouraged students to look inward before looking outward. Students began by identifying their own personal strengths, learning new vocabulary words like self-esteem and strengths.

"We started by identifying and celebrating what makes each of us unique," kindergarten teacher Mamie Pepper explained. “This closely reflects the core of what we do at AVS. Our mission centers on guiding students in the discovery and pursuit of their unique talents, interests, and sense of self. This includes developing self-awareness, recognizing individual strengths, and learning how those strengths contribute to a larger group. At the same time, we emphasize the importance of being inclusive, responsible, and respectful members of a community. Then, we progressed to identifying the positive qualities of our peers. These ranged from being a kind friend to being a good dancer."

The classroom soon became a hub of positivity. Students reported that they enjoyed writing kind things about their partners just as much as they enjoyed receiving the compliments themselves.

While teamwork often focuses on getting along, the kindergarteners also tackled a much tougher skill: how to disagree. In a standout lesson, the class explored how differing opinions are actually essential to a productive team.

After practicing how to share opinions respectfully, students used an "emoji scale" to rate themselves on their ability to be kind, listen, and "lead with love." The honesty of the students—admitting which skills they were still working on—showed a level of maturity that impressed the team.

When the results of the national competition were announced, the class was stunned. They placed third in the entire United States, following a 5th-grade class from Kentucky and a 3rd-grade class from Illinois.

"The class erupted in cheers when we got to third place," Ms. Pepper shared. "I printed out certificates for everyone and wrote each of their names on them. That was enough for them all to feel proud of their accomplishment."

The project was supported by inquirED, a program that provides rigorous social studies materials designed to help students build deep content knowledge. By merging these lessons with Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), our teachers are helping students build a foundation for democracy and community.

The award was a reminder to stop and celebrate the magic happening in the classroom every day. "It’s not about winning the competition," Mamie reflected. "It’s about taking the time to celebrate the meaningful work happening in our classrooms."

Congratulations to our young winners for showing us all what it means to be a teammate!