Art in Community among the Poor

Sticking paintbrushes in the hands of 15 kids full of energy and too much desk time was the best idea I have had for a while. I took this large card stock page 70x100cm and filled it with blind contours of garden, flowers, plants,etc. Then I chopped it up in 10x10cm pieces, gave each of the kids paints and told them to paint them as they liked. When it was put back together all the kids stuck out their chests and pat ed each other on the back with pride in their colorful garden. It hangs now in the class room where they do their hours of homework a day. Many of them first generation readers, they are my heroes.