Wong, a senior, was one of 27 San Leandro High School students who took turns fasting for one day to honor the 40th anniversary of Cesar Chavez’s 24-day fast for nonviolence.

"It was an eye-opening experience," Wong said. "I learned that positive change can be made through nonviolent actions."

Students from the school’s multimedia academy began a 24-day rotating fast Feb. 19, with participants taking turns each school day. The demonstration ended Friday.

In addition to honoring Chavez’s efforts, students wanted to raise campus awareness about issues of violence, including child and domestic abuse, and violence toward the lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender community. Students also wanted to remember friends they had lost as a result of violence. The campus this school year lost three.

Greg Ballard Jr., a promising football player, was shot last fall in East Oakland. He was 17.

Cousins Dominique Hoover-Brown, 15, and Melissa Jackson, 17, were shot to death in East Oakland in February.

"Our district has suffered a great deal of loss this year to violence," Superintendent Christine Lim said in a statement. "It is moving and inspirational that the high school community have come together to create awareness and effect positive change."

The fast was also part of a campus effort to teach nonviolence through a grant provided by the California Department of Education and the attorney general’s office. Over the next five years, $100,000 will be given to San Leandro High each year to run the program.

Evan Goldberg, a coordinator with the Alameda County Office of Education, has been working with the school to create strategies aimed at preventing and reducing violence on campus.

"The school was really at the tipping edge of gang and violence issues," he said. "This was a good place for us to start and make a difference."

Chavez’s granddaughter, Julie Rodriguez, visited the campus Friday to honor students and their efforts.

"When you’re educating, empowering, and engaging people through service and nonviolent action, not only will they succeed but more importantly they will understand the significance of giving back to their communities," she told students. "Thank you for standing up against the senseless violence ravaging our schools and communities. You all are the modern day Chavezes and (Martin Luther) Kings."

Aside from fasting, students also created multimedia projects to raise awareness about issues of violence. They can be viewed on the school’s Web site, http://www.slhs.net.

Kristofer Noceda can be reached at 510-293-2479 or knoceda@bayareanewsgroup.com.