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FELCH -- It has been a federal holiday for 25 years.  But even though Martin Luther King Day is a day off for many, fourth graders at North Dickinson are learning it's actually a day on.

"It's something that Dr. Martin Luther King lived his life doing.  He was in service to his community,” said James Grider, an AmeriCorps volunteer.  “Most of the things that he did were things that were outside the realm of his job.  He was donating his time, he was serving other people."

Monday’s program is part of a grant from community service agencies throughout Michigan, teaching students about Dr. King and the importance of giving back.

With the help of the student council, the students read excerpts of the "I Have a Dream" speech, worked on projects depicting their own dreams, and were given copies of Dr. King's biography.

"It's great because not many people know about it.  I mean, we didn't even get to learn about it that much,” said ninth grade student council member Cayla Carey.  “I think it's a good thing that they're all getting to learn about it like this."

"It's kind of fun, but it's kind of like special because we're celebrating his birthday," said fourth grader Emma Thomann.

Even though this is the first year of the program at North Dickinson, Grider thinks the students understand the importance of the day.

"When I announced that someone was going to do an excerpt from the "I Have a Dream" speech and I saw a student go 'Yes!', I was like, that's kind of neat," he said.

While Monday focused on Martin Luther King, organizers are hoping to expand this even further to include community service throughout the students’ careers.