Search

The news is sometimes frightening, but reacting to a disaster in a positive way empowers students to make a difference. On January 12, 2010, a catastrophic earthquake occurred in Haiti. An estimated three million people were affected and an estimated 230,000 people died. In response to this tragic event, the author's eighth-grade class viewed and discussed the tragedy and brainstormed ways to help and get involved in the relief effort by raising money for Haiti. They learned about the culture and art of Haiti, then created Haitian-inspired images. Inspired by the artwork of Betty LaDuke, an artist, educator, and humanitarian who has traveled around the world capturing the essence of diverse cultures in her vibrant, colorful paintings, the students created artwork that included a topic, a minimum of one stylized person, animals, and references from nature. The resulting artwork was reduced in size, a resin layer was added to protect the image, and magnets were attached to the back. These were sold for $5 a piece and students raised more than $400 dollars for Haiti. Through this project, students realized that they can play a significant role in helping others in need.