Prattville elementary students travel the world at third annual International Day

Elementary students from Daniel Pratt Elementary, Billingsley School and Pine Level Elementary visited up to 38 countries in a single day at International Day, held at the Willis Bradford YMCA in Prattville on Friday, March 6, 2026. Students "took time away from the classroom to take part in International Day at the Willis Bradford YMCA in Prattville," a packed day that brought global culture into a local gym.

Organizers described the event as a school-hosted cultural learning event intended to expose elementary students to other cultures. Prattville elementary students "spent a day 'traveling the world' without leaving town during the third annual International Day," with the program featuring booths and student projects that showcased heritage and traditions from multiple nations.

The program format emphasized hands-on exposure and performance: "International Day allowed the students to visit up to 38 countries in one day and have the opportunity to be exposed to new cultures, foods, heritage, song and dance, and languages that help make up today’s global community." Booths and displays gave children a chance to sample foods, view student-created projects and observe music and dance tied to the countries represented.

Event organizers and district officials framed the program within the wider demographic mix of Autauga County Schools. "ACS officials say the system has a diverse student population with students speaking more than 30 languages, representing as many or more countries." That linguistic diversity underpinned organizers’ effort to connect classroom learning with the cultural backgrounds many students bring to school.

The Willis Bradford YMCA served as the venue for the third annual International Day, bringing together classroom groups and community volunteers to staff booths and performances. Event leaders presented the day as both educational and experiential: students could move through dozens of country stations and leave having encountered multiple languages and cultural practices in person. As the district continues to report students who speak more than 30 languages, the third annual International Day highlighted one in-school approach to building cultural literacy and recognizing the variety of backgrounds represented in Autauga County classrooms.