From Doodles to Donations
I can’t imagine growing up in a world without having art at my fingertips. My imagination would run wild finding doodles galore across every page in my notebooks at home and at school. I enjoyed using my art as a form of expression and I was fortunate enough that the city schools I attended made funding a priority for such programs. I guess having a city mayor who also taught art to grade school kids had its perks for us creatives. (Hi Mrs. Brewer, thanks for teaching me what rainbow scratch off paper was!) But there was a point when I remember all of that creative expression and education had been threatened to be taken away when the funding fell short for all art programs across our schools.
There are cities across the country that find themselves short on funding. Without the required money, electives are some of the 1st areas of education to get cut and overtime necessary upgrades to technology get overlooked causing a damper on the entire educational experience. Now thankfully my entire home town banded together and passed the required levy to keep us kids engaged in the programs we loved so dearly. But, that was a wake up call as to how quickly those tools of expression and safe spaces of artistic freedom can be tossed aside at such crucial ages. Children need these alternative areas of education in their lives and not just for creative expression but as a way of communication and growth. Art is meant to connect us in one way or another giving us this sense of courage as we share it with those around us.
I am an insanely proud aunt this week. My oldest Niece found the incredible courage to enter in a nationwide Doodle 4 Google contest. Yes THEE Google. Her beautiful imagination won her as the 1st place Doodle for the entire state of Ohio. This is the same little girl that would sit and practice drawing for hours upon end trying to get herself to that next level in her doodle skills. The same little girl that would swap me pen pal letters full of pictures that would challenge and in turn elevate her skill level each and every time. Now, this same persistent and hard working artist holds a place competing against kids all across the country aiming for a $30,000 college scholarship AND a $50,000 Google technology package for their local school districts! How incredibly sensational is that?!? With that kind of funding, these kids will have access to some top notch educational tools. Some of which can inspire other types of art to be created coming full circle to how it all began. To enter in this contest, these kids had to create their own unique versions of the home page using their own artistic touches. Each submission held a sliver of hope that they would have a chance to provide funding for not just their own future education but for the education of their peers as well. I'm incredibly proud of my niece for not just creating such a stunningly BEAUTIFUL piece of art but for believing in her work with such pride. That courage is what won her 1st place in the state and it's what will take her so far in life. So for the next few days, every human in our house and the houses across our friends and family will be voting to lift her up. Voting to show that expressing your individuality and being true to yourself can take you so far in life. It's what truly elevates you to stand out from the rest, which can ultimately win you a contest.
So in honor of my niece's bold courage and her admirable efforts to support her local schools, I AM HUMAN would like to work with a new organization for our next donation. https://www.donorschoose.org/ allows you to support public schools all across the country who find themselves in need of supplies for their classrooms. From art supplies, to books, teachers request the amount needed for whatever it is they find themselves short of in the educational process. We feel that supporting the education of our youth is incredibly important in building up our future generations and that is why we will be working Donors Choose for our next donation. A percentage of all I AM HUMAN sales over the next couple of months will contribute towards the needs of a local classroom here in our home state of Ohio. Who knows, maybe there's another little girl out there who loves to doodle like my niece but maybe her class is short on funds for new markers. This donation could help to inspire another young dreamer's contest entry someday.
If you would like to help us in supporting my incredibly talented niece as well as her school, you can vote for her picture in the official Doodle 4 Google Contest!
- Click the link
- Select "Grades 6-7"
- Click "Ohio"
- Submit your vote!
- You can vote as often as you'd like!
- Voting ends on Friday May 14th at 11:59 pm PDT.
- She has a 1 / 54 chance!!!!
Her Entry:
Thank you for your time and efforts in helping a young artist's dream come true! Let's continue in supporting the education and expression of our future generations.