Do you remember the excitement of mixing yellow and blue paint for the first time to find out that it turns green? It's a magical revelation moment in a child's life. My students don't have a safe place for their paintings to dry out so painting is a limited learning activity in art class.
I teach art to 425 creative and energetic K-5 students at a Title I school.
From this high poverty student population 88% receive free or reduced price lunch. These students face some socioeconomic hardship but that does not stop them from loving art and doing their best. As a matter of fact they look forward all week to their 40-minute art class. They are very proud of their artworks; it is inspiring to see the difference I can make in a child's life through art.
But life in the art room is sometimes frustrating when you see a child crying because, by accident, someone stepped on his/her painting. We do not have a painting drying rack so the paintings are set up on the floor to dry, and therefore accidents happen. The lack of a safe and flat place to set up paintings for drying also means that from the 425 students only one to two classes per day can have a painting activity. Due to major cuts in our budget and furlough days, art is not getting funded.
My Project
We need a drying rack to let their paintings dry flat and safely. This drying rack will allow my students to paint on a regular basis and to expand their learning opportunities in art. My project is to give my students dignity: the dignity of being able to walk in the classroom without stepping on their own artwork because it has no place to dry. The dignity of knowing that poor does not mean that they will be limited in their creativity. My project brings to the art classroom a standard piece of equipment that is so necessary and basic that having to ask for it sounds outrageous.
My project communicates to my students: as a child artist in the art classroom, you hang your wet paintings just like the artist one day you may become. You don't have to tip-toe around it as it sits on the busy floor. We don't have to look down on it. It's not a rug: it's your art piece, created from your learning and hard work. It should not start its life dodging feet and drips. Your family will display it vertically with pride.
Your kind donation will have a huge impact on my students' lives.
They will be able, on a regular basis, to explore and expand their learning about painting and other media that require drying time. They will be able to take home their artwork in its entirety. Seeing the artworks being treated respectfully will make them respectful towards the arts. A drying rack will keep my students paintings safe and will make my learners feel good about the work they take so seriously, like we all should.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Sacharny and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.