Art Is Messy

One of the things that I really like about my school is its dedication to community service. The elementary school works with a local Chinese migrant school called Old Qing Pu Elementary. Each year our students travel to the migrant school from time to time to play games, do cultural exchanges and art projects. Our kids also collect items such as sports equipment, clothing, art materials and writing supplies and donate them to the migrant school students. SAS also has donated big ticket items such as computers, library books and a piano (see picture below).

Last year our teachers started assembling “Welcome Back” Bags for the migrant school staff. At the local school, teachers are expected to buy the majority of their supplies. SAS teachers generously donated materials the they thought would be useful in the classroom. Below are some images from our delivery.

I came across the organization Barefoot Artists today as I was searching around the internet for more Community Service art programs. If my after school program or my Angkor Artisans like organization do not work out, I would love to form an arts non-profit like this.

The organization works on both local and international projects that works towards empowering communities and giving voice to those who do not have one. Check out their resource section. It has links to many interesting sites.

I love teaching, but I often times think about how long I will stay a teacher. Before being a teacher I was a graphic designer. I am *significantly* more happy teaching than designing, but there’s part of me that wonders what’s next. If I leave teaching, it will only be a change of location, not career. Education has entered my blood and it’s here to stay.

I have always had a dream of starting an after school graphic design program for kids at risk. The program would teach kids design skills, get them off the streets and hopefully into internships and college.

My second dream was formed during a recent trip to Cambodia. In Siem Reap I discovered Angkor Artisans. This job entry organization trains young Cambodians in their local crafts and gives them the means through which they can support themselves. I would love to create an organization like this of my own.

Art truly has transformative powers. It is able to improve people’s lives, rebuild communities and give people hope. I believe that the people behind Community Arts Network have the same idea. This site is a great resource for project ideas, research and collaboration. There’s a lot of information here so be prepared to spend a bunch of time visiting this site.

Recently, my 5th grade students traveled to the Old Qing Pu Elementary School, a school for the children of migrant workers, for a morning filled with collaborative art activities, games and cultural exchange.

Prior to going to the Old Qing Pu school, my students spent time leaning about the International Day of Peace. Students discussed what peace means to them and identified ways that they practice peace in their daily lives. After looking at a variety symbols, students created their own drawings about peace in their sketch books.

Once the field trip day arrived, SAS and Old Qing Pu students were partnered together. Armed with pencils, erasers, rulers and markers, students from both schools worked collaboratively to create joint peace drawings. Students had a fantastic time sharing and building upon each others ideas and problem solving their ways through language differences. The artwork will be turned into greeting cards that will be sold at different school events. All proceeds will be donated to the Old Qing Pu school. In addition, the collaborative artwork will be on display in both SAS and the Old Qing Pu School. I will post some of their designs once I have images of them. Stay tuned!

Our school has an on going relationship with a local Chinese migrant school. We plan activities between our students several times throughout the year. The differences between our two facilities are extreme. Our school has a lovely budget that never leaves you wanting, the migrant school doesn’t even have its own chalk. Because of this, each year we collect items such as school supplies, gym equipment and clothing and donate them to the school and its students. This year we decided to start the school year off with a ‘Welcome Back!’ project for the teachers. Members of our staff have generously volunteered and donated school supplies that a teacher might need through out their year. This afternoon we assembled all 30 bags, donated by our cafeteria company,  and filled with pencils, notebooks, staplers, stickers, etc. We are scheduled to deliver them next Wednesday. I can’t wait to drop them off!