About 40 Warren County Public Schools students traveled to Frankfort on Wednesday to participate in a rally and push lawmakers to support immigrants and refugees.

Skip Cleavinger, the district’s director of English learner programs, made the trip with them by bus.

He said the group included fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders from Briarwood Elementary School and students from the district’s Migrant Education Program, with a mix of ages up to high school age.

Cleavinger said students attended a rally that featured refugees who had started businesses and successful careers. The rally also included remarks from a recipient of the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which grants young undocumented immigrants temporary stays from deportation.

“Our kids were great,” he said.

The rally was organized by the Kentucky Office for Refugees, which leads the state’s refugee resettlement agencies. It drew participation from the Bowling Green International Center and other community members, Cleavinger said.

Students also made postcards to give to Democratic state Rep. Jody Richards and Republican state Sen. Mike Wilson, both of Bowling Green.

Cleavinger said he was unable to provide students for comment.

Sarah Hood, an English as a second language teacher at Briarwood Elementary, said the trip tied into what students had been learning about government in their social studies classes.

“This is a great opportunity for them to see that their voice really matters,” she said.

– Follow education reporter Aaron Mudd on Twitter @BGDN_edbeat or visit bgdailynews.com.