By Saturday’s end, millions of people will have celebrated school choice at more than 16,000 events across the country for National School Choice Week. The celebrations all fall under the National School Choice Week brand, but they are independently planned and funded, making the grassroots celebration that much more striking.

“The reason that School Choice Week has grown so exponentially is because people realize that school choice means empowering parents to choose the best education environments for their kids,” Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week, told the Washington Examiner. “It’s not about saying that one type of school is better than another for all kids, it’s about saying that each individual parent should be able to make that determination.” Campanella also credited the positive approach of the celebrations, focusing on presenting all the options and not getting stuck in wonky policy debates.