The Templeton Chapter will receive $1,000 from Global Youth Fund to provide art supplies to children affected by turmoil and organize an art exhibit featuring their work and stories.

PROJECT HEART
“Art from the Heart”

Creators: Rebecca and Camille

Our message: Create art from your heart.

Purpose: To distribute art supplies to children whose lives have been affected by the turmoil in the world (e.g. war, oppression) and provide opportunities for their future.

Why is this needed?
Humans are naturally creative beings. Unfortunately, young people in many situations never get to explore this side of them. Our plan is to send packages of art supplies toyoung people in countries under oppression or are war-torn. Our goal is is to give them the opportunity to express themselves in a healthy way and merely create art. The expression of art is also therapeudic for these kids who have experienced great pain.

Inside the package:

• notebook (with a sticker saying “This notebook belongs to __________” in their native language)
• pencils
• eraser
• pencil sharpener
• pencil crayons

Who will benefit?

We are targetting young people who are not necessarily starving of hunger but those in immense emotional distress from their country being under war, oppression and refugee. Expression of art is a form of therapy for these people in painful situations. The sentimental value of the stickers in the notebooks would be to let them know that there is someone out there who remembers them and will be acknowledged.

Activities involved:

Research and contact
- contacts in countries – through organizations already working there
- schools to send to or other connections
- asking companies for donations

Make packages and sending to schools
- stickers in native language
- physical packaging of supplies

Spread the word
- art show – pay for postage to have art sent back, fundraiser (auction)
- PSA’s through school’s film program
- posters
- facebook groups/events)
- help from other local art organizations

More packages
- help other countries, reach more schools – continue
- possibly sending other media: paints to school, paper, photography(?)

Potentially send people to teach art classes

Help get young people scholarships to art schools
- create a scholarship program, funding

Measurable Goals:
We will measure our impact in young people reached. For the moment, this will mean the number of packages sent (and received). But, at later stages of the project, this could mean a number of different things. Our goal amount of packages to be sent out is still undecided.

They chose Building Hope: One School at a Time.

In subsequent months, they worked together to raise money to help Central Asia Institute fund schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan where many children in remote villages have no access to education.

Goal:

• Raise $500 for educational supplies for Central Asia Institute. (Status: Achieved)

Activities:

Background:

Greg Mortensen

Founded by Greg Mortenson in 1996, the Central Asia Institute (CAI) was created to strengthen communities abandoned by their governments and ignored by passing tourists.

After his failure to climb K2, in honor of his sister’s death, Mortenson found himself sick and depleted. Then, by pure coincidence, he stumbled across the town of Korphe. There he experienced the comfort and unbridled warmth of the Balti people. He was horrified to discover that the local children were studying in the dirt and rubble without a teacher, without a school.

He vowed to come back to build a school. Against all odds and hardships (including kidnapping), he did just that.

For the past 10 years, CAI has dedicated its efforts in building more than 60 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, a region where the U.S. is now engaged in a “war on terror.”

Mortenson’s “one man’s mission to promote peace” has been recounted in the highly acclaimed book, Three Cups of Tea.

Links:

• Central Asia Institute
• Greg Moretenson’s Blog
• Pennies for Peace