Students at MacNeill Secondary School are painting it forward. Students in the Buzz Art Club at MacNeill have been hosting an Art-A-Thon since 2015. The charity that they chose for 2023 was Covenant House Vancouver.
Each fall, students in the art club get together and choose a charity and a theme for the Art-A-Thon. This year’s theme was around stories, and students were encouraged to think about the cultural, personal, social, historical, or environmental aspects of their own stories, keeping their audience in mind. The students are then asked to create a small prototype of what their final painting will look like. Students then spend several months collecting sponsorship donations from students, parents, teachers, and friends.
Teacher sponsor, Kate Walker, said that by connecting students with a charity, students learn to advocate and see the value of contributing to the community and the positive effects that it can have on other people’s lives. To date, the Art-A-Thon has raised over $15,000 and supported nine charities.
This year, over an 11-hour period, 21 students painted their final pieces. Many of the youth were inspired by memories from their home country, historical pieces around their background, and their journeys as students or teens. The final works of art were displayed at the school’s open house, at the end of January.
This year’s Art-A-Thon raised over $3,000 for youth who access CHV’s services.
A huge CHV thank you to the students of the Buzz Art Club, and their teacher sponsor, Kate Walker!