March 14 is National School Walkout Day. It’s a time where many students across the country will walk out of class to honor the lives of the victims of the Parkland, Florida school shooting and stress their commitment to changing gun control laws.
On February 23, students at Grimsley High School in Guilford County walked out to protest school shootings and they're preparing to do it again.
“I feel like students are trying to have, like, more of a say in what's going on," said Alon Palmer, Junior at Western Guilford High School.
Students from Western Guilford will also participate in National School Walkout Day, according to an independent online sign up.
At 10 a.m. Wednesday, students across the Triad and across the country will leave their school buildings for 17 minutes, commemorating the 17 lives lost at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, last month. It's also an effort to show Congress that students want more than thoughts and prayers – they want action.
The ACLU of North Carolina says school officials can discipline students for missing class, but they cannot discipline them more harshly for expressing a certain political viewpoint.
"It's important for students to know that their voices matter and that they can make positive change happen in their communities," said ACLU of North Carolina spokesperson Molly Rivera.
A Guilford County Schools spokesperson says they respect a "student's First Amendment right to peacefully assemble or protest in a civil and respectful manner." But say they will discipline students if they leave campus during a walkout. Students from multiple Guilford County Schools have registered for the walkout using online organizing sites.
Palmer says she agrees with the message and she's on board to walk out.
"I definitely think I would join, because it's bigger than just one school or one person and people just trying to get out of class. I think I definitely would join," she said.
Students from Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools have registered several schools there on National Walkout websites, as well. A spokesperson says they haven't taken a position on the issue, but they do have safety plans in place if students choose to leave school buildings for a protest.