Heroic Profiles!

Funded Aug 27, 2017

It is with with gratitude that me and my current students, and future students, thank you again for your generous donation. Recently, the trend in education has limited the importance of the arts in the classroom. However, I strongly feel the arts, when mixed well with content and skill building, can strengthen students writing, reading and speaking abilities in a memorable matter. My students used the pastels to create a life sized portrait of an advocate of the Abolitionist and Women's Suffrage Movements. Student brought to life, larger than life figures, such as Harriet Tubman, Elizabeth C. Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, William Lloyd Garrison, John Brown, Sojourner Truth, and Frederick Douglass. These figures dedication to justice in the face of scorn, inspired me as a teenager and I know they inspire my students as well.

My students are not fully aware of the politics of finances of schools. I took the time to explain to them that the materials we use in class is paid for by the district, however, often times I use my own money to pay for other materials, such as crayons, markers, coloring pencils. Which does not seem like much, when you consider an individual item it is not. However, I told them my biggest class is 36 and I have 210 students, which brings up expenses. In the case of the pastels, which is the best art supply to use in this project, the expenses would be quite a lot and hard to do without the pastels. I explained that I asked for people from across the country to donate money to purchase more pastels, some were kind strangers, others were former co-workers and even former students. Students were amazed that different individuals donated their own personal money to pay for an educational item for them to use. Especially after I showed them the box of the pastels and the cost of the items. They were very grateful at the kindness of others.

Well, the drawing of the advocate was just one piece of the project, I would say it is 33% of the project overall, but an important component because the art piece inspires them to do well in the other components. It is best to think of the project in the finished product so you can truly see the impact the project had on students. The second piece is a creative writing task in which they explain in first person why their advocate contained heroic qualities. For example, a student who got Harriet Tubman might say, "I cared so deeply about other people that I risked my own freedom and safety to return South and help other oppressed slaves escape to freedom." Thirdly, students speak as their assigned heroic figure with a prop related to their character. Someone who had Frederick Douglass might wear a tie and definitely speak about Douglass's life in the first person. This project is so fun, engaging and memorable for all involved. Thank you for making it possible this year and beyond!!!!”

With gratitude,

Mr. Bautista