Forty students from Upper Sumas Elementary attended a special field trip on March 12 to the Chilliwack Corn Maze as part of the Terrific Kids program.
The program is for kids in Grades 2 to 7 who volunteer to be a peer mentor to students with special needs.
The mentors spend one lunch hour per week, throughout the school year, with their buddy.
The field trip was a way of saying thank you to the mentors, and included an egg hunt in the maze, a hot dog roast and playing with the duck racers.
Grade 4 student Cassandra spends time in the Terrific Kids program with her buddy Ben, who has autism.
"I’m a special friend for him but he’s a special friend to me too. We have fun together," she said.
Mackenzie, in Grade 6, plays with her buddy Taylor, who has Down syndrome, every Friday.
They eat lunch together in the student centre and then they learn to cook something, do a craft, play outside or play games.
Mackenzie said she looks forward to her Terrific Kid Fridays with Taylor.
Upper Sumas Elementary principal Darlene MacDonald praised the program.
“Peers helping peers is a powerful way to improve social skills, help children develop friendships, improve language skills and develop empathy and positive connections,” she said.