Fifth-grade students at Centre Avenue Elementary School recently had a special visitor: East Rockaway Mayor Gordon Fox, who stopped by to speak with students about how local government works and what it means to be a community leader.

The visit was a natural extension of the students' current project-based learning unit on government, in which they are exploring different forms of government, how decisions are made and the ways citizens can make an impact. With Mayor Fox in the room, those concepts moved from the page to real life.

Students came prepared with thoughtful questions, and Mayor Fox offered firsthand insight into the inner workings of their own community. The conversation gave students a tangible connection to the ideas they've been studying and left them thinking about what it means to be an active, informed citizen.