Peace Pole Dedication at Carpinteria Middle School – Carpinteria, CA, USA
May 7, 2025
Roughly 50 community members attended last Wednesday’s Peace Pole dedication at Carpinteria Middle School.
The Rotary Club of Carpinteria Morning dedicated a Peace Pole at Carpinteria Middle School (CMS) last Wednesday, April 30 — a project envisioned by former club President Carie Smith two years ago.
The Peace Pole carries the phrase “May Peace Prevail On Earth” in English, Spanish, Chumash, Japanese and Braille.
Julie Tumamait-Stenslie
With the installation, it joins more than 250,000 Peace Poles around the world.
The ceremony was attended by 50 community members, including members of both Rotary clubs, as well as local officials, International Rotary members, CMS Principal Jamie Persoon and Vice Principal James Anderson. Rotary District 5240 Peacebuilder Committee Co-Chair Art Fisher emceed, and Chumash Elder Julie Tumamait-Stenslie offered the Peace Pole a Chumash blessing.
“Sarah Block and Brandon Battle of the CMS Peace Builder Club shared what peace is to their students and got the audience to think about what peace is for, between and among them. I was asked to share a few words, so I highlighted Rotarians as peace builders and what we did and would continue to do to build peace,” Smith told Coastal View News.
Fisher added: “A Peace Pole is an affirmation of peace, intended to inspire unity among people of all cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds.”