The arts can be a powerful tool to educate young people about appreciating and preserving their environment. Arts @ Large has collaborated with a variety of talented artists to develop projects that connect the arts to environmental education and activism. Students have worked with community members to create art gardens that include mosaic benches and decorative rain barrels, study and adopt endangered species through the World Wildlife Fund then create paper mache sculptures representing each animal, put on global warming awareness theatrical productions and much more. Just as the arts play an essential role in a child’s education, environmental studies is essential in preserving this beautiful planet that we share.

Hawley School’s Endangered Species Project

Teachers, students and artists at Hawley Environmental School have developed an amazing project honoring the world’s endangered species. Through the World Wildlife Fund, each K-5th grade classroom has adopted an endangered species and worked with Sculptor Steve Wirtz to create paper mache animals to represent each unique classroom.

Each wing in the school has adopted one of these endangered animal sculptures as their own mascot (clown fish, cougar, polar bear, platypus, whooping crane, grey wolf and panda). Hawley has used their A@L funding to purchase video cameras for the 4th and 5th grade classrooms. Students worked with Videographer Joseph Strand to document the endangered animal project, help students interview their peers and learn about the art of film-making.

As Earth Day approached, students took a field trip to see Disneynature’s new film Earth. This film tells the amazing story of three animal families and their journey across the remarkable planet we call home.