category
Dec 9, 2025
Fifth graders spread comfort and resources through stuffed animals
Louisville Public Media
A group of fifth graders wants to make sure that each child in need gets a friend indeed. Amy Cuenca is a music teacher at JCPS' Bowen Elementary School, oversees the Bright Bees Project. Students conceived of the project, named after Bowen's mascot, and create video resources attached to stuffed animals through a QR code to give to kids in crisis.
Cuenca spoke with me about how the project aims to have first responders give the stuffies to children to comfort them.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Michelle Tyrene Johnson: You're in charge of the Bright Bees Project. Tell us a little about it.
Amy Cuenca: It started last year with a group of fifth graders who wanted to make a difference in the community. So, they decided to start the Bright Bees Project, which gives stuffies to children who are dealing with trauma or stress or are in emergency situations. The ultimate goal was that the stuffies would be given to first responders, who could then give them to children who are at the emergency site. But to start with, last year, our students gave the stuffies to family resource centers and to JCPS.
What makes it extra special is that attached to the stuffed animal is a tag that has a QR code that links the children to a website that's completely student created with videos they also created. It includes breathing techniques for staying calm when frustrated or anxious and some book read alouds.
MTJ: Why is this so important to fifth graders?
AC: This happened because one student had a friend who was in a serious car accident and came to school telling the kids about how stressful it was and how scared they were when the ambulance came and the police officers were there. The student thought it would have been nice for the ambulance workers or the police officers to be able to offer something to her friend in that moment. She thought, how nice it would be for her friend to get a new little stuffed animal? And then we decided to take it furt
