Teacher Jeanette Thompson of CICS Northtown Academy wrote: “Once we knew about the Peace Pole it was somewhat difficult to figure out what we were going to do with it. We took a day to sketch out some ideas on what we will want the Peace Pole to look like. We shared our ideas and our teacher showed us two copies of peace messages in different languages that were provided to her with the Peace Pole. We wanted to included the messages on the Peace Pole; therefore, we asked our Multimedia class to use their tech skills make the messages look more appealing in order for us to put them on the Pole. We picked some of the messages, cut them out, and placed them on the Pole with gel medium. Next we had to choose a color for the background that would represent peace. Our teacher suggested lavender and we agreed. We painted the Peace Pole, taking care to avoid painting over the messages.

Then we thought it needed something a little more to make it special. Therefore, we added some silver swirls all over and some green and orange leaves. The leaves represent nature and how the leaves change colors over the seasons. Nature, to us represents peacefulness.

Our school had a Peace Fair where we asked students to write peace messages in order for us to fill our Pole with caring words. We put the messages into recycled soda bottles and place them inside the Peace Pole. Finally, we wanted to show that peace is needed all around the world; therefore, we placed a small globe on top of the Peace Pole. Our school is very grateful to have been giving this opportunity to receive the Peace Pole for the state.”

Grace Fletcher is the Art Department Chair and Art Club Sponsor at Zionsville High School and her students chose to display the Peace Pole they created during  March, which is Youth Art Month, in the Zionsville Community School’s Boardroom in order to draw attention to the art and the subject of the peace.   Students covered the Peace Pole in vibrant tissue paper and then attached drawings of subjects that were peaceful to them.

May Peace Prevail in Zionsville, Indiana

 

Willard students were proud to create a Peace Pole to share with the Missoula Community on International Peace Day in September.   The class chose the following countries to represent: France, Japan, USA, and China.   The top of the Peace Pole is a red bird holding a flower for peace.  The Peace Pole was the center of a Meditation Hill at Caras Park where Missoulians mediated throughout the day.  The Peace Pole now stands in our school and sometimes on the playground that is visited by neighbors.  Were were thankful for the opportunity to join other students across the country to celebrate peace. 

Savannah K. painted the side for France and used the Eiffel Tower to represent France and painted black and white stripes to represent mimes, which she associates with France and considers peaceful, in their quiet expression.

Ty B. painted a side for China.  He states, “ In the making of this project, the goal was to display diversity and peace in different languages, which was awesome because we got to look into the different cultures of the languages we were displaying.  This project provided art for the community.  We had a meditation circle around the Peace Pole and invited the community to attend. “

Cody F. and Abby H. were some of the students that worked on the USA side.  They said that they kept it simple with red, white and blue painted spots, strips and lettering.

Sara R. and her group worked on the Japanese side and chose to fill it with the joyful imprints of hands painted with many colors.

The Youth Art Peace Pole Project deeply thanks Gwen Hoppe, Art Teacher at Willard Alternative High School Program, and all her students who brought the Montana Youth Art Peace Pole to fruition.

The Tucson Country Day School Art Department creates their own curriculum, design, collect projects and work closely with their students to provide a rich art experience encompassing a wide variety of media. They have a strong emphasis on art history and world cultures. At Tucson Country Day School, Ms. Phelps,  Ms. Paradis and Ms. Lopez’s 3rd graders worked hard to create the “Arizona Youth Art Peace Pole”. Students created drawings of symbols that they thought represented Arizona. If you look closely at their Peace Pole you will see cactus flowers, cowboy hats, Native America symbols and more!! The students even painted the Peace Pole to look like the Saguaro Cacti that are seen all across southern Arizona especially in Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona. These wonderful art teachers wrote the YAPPP to say “Our hope is for peace especially in our city of Tucson, after the tragedy of 2011. We appreciate the thoughtful artistry of our Third grade! Great work!”

To see the blog of the Tucson Country Day School Art Department and their “Arizona Peace Pole”.  Please put the following url into your browser:  http://tcdsartdepartment.blogspot.com/2014/05/arizona-peace-pole.html

Teachers Kala Phelps & Jean Paradis added “We had a wonderful time and the students want to continue to make one each year. Thank you for allowing us to participate!”

  

 

May Peace Prevail in Tucson, Arizona!

Students in preschool all the way to grade 6 worked under the direction of Rebecca Carleton  (RES Art) to create, not one, not three, but SIX Rainbow Peace Poles at the Randolph Elementary School in Randolph, Vermont. The Youth Art Peace Pole Project can’t thank Ms. Carleton and all the students at Randolph Elementary enough for taking on this project ON THEIR OWN. The students at Randolph Elementary  displayed all their Peace Poles at The Tunbridge Worlds Fair and  got a ribbon and  their six Peace Poles were  seen by thousands of  people at the Fair. Ms. Carleton wrote to say “Thanks for giving us this great project to work on and easy to follow directions.”

YAPPP would like to mention that Ms. Carleton won the the National Art Education Association  “Elementary Art Educator of the Year” for the Eastern U.S. Region. You can read the story in “The Herald of Randolph” at: http://www.ourherald.com/news/2014-04-10/Front_Page/RESs_Carleton_Wins_National_Award.html

It so happens that the YAPPP was announced to the world at the NAEA National Convention in 2012.

Well, Rebecca Carleton, you and all the youngsters at Randolph Elementary are amazing!!!

Angela Winters wrote to say “Thank you for the opportunity to represent the State of Wyoming.  The kids had a really great time and it was really fun to have a discussion about what peace is.”

The Student created a Statement:

I am quiet inside and silence is peace.  Sitting in the forest late at night we watch the stars.  There was silence and peace.  We wait for falling stars.  I find peace with friends.  We sit around and talk.  I want everyone to be kind and peaceful, right now, all the time.        By Taylor, Grace, Rachel, Tanner and Garret.

Marcia Shannon’s Art National Honors Society students at Mitchell High School created the South Dakota Youth Art Peace Pole and displayed it at the State Capitol in Pierre, South Dakota on The International Day of Peace.

Following are some comments from students who worked on the SD Peace Pole:

“I am very impressed with how our Peace Pole turned out. It was great to see kids that I go to school with work together to create something so special and unique. What makes it even better is that it’s promoting a good cause and that it is going to get recognized outside of just our school. Needless to say, the Peace Pole project was a really amazing project to be a part of.”  – Alison Murphy

“Working on the Peace Pole was a wonderful way for artists, such as myself to express our desire for peace through art. Art is a great way to express yourself in ways you cannot put into words and the Peace Pole was a great opportunity to carry out that notion. The Peace Pole goes along with the saying, “Make art not war.” I think that is something we should live by every day. No matter how you like to express yourself, whether it is through dance, art, music there are ways to channel negativity into positivity that will ultimately make our world a more peaceful place. Working on our Peace Pole at Art National Honors Society was a great way for everyone to get involved, even the parents. After all, it’s teamwork that is going to make it happen.” – Bailey Eidahl

Here are a few photos of the South Dakota Peace Team preparing their Peace Pole:

 

 

These below photos were taken at the National Art Honor Society reception held at the Dakota Discovery Museum in Mitchell, South Dakota

West Career and Technical Academy is lucky to have Lisa Hinricksen, M.A.T. as their Visual Arts Teacher. Lisa shared some incredibly great news and also told us: “Our elementary, middle school and high school students LOVED the Peace Pole experience.  We are now working on Peace Flags and Banners for the ceremony on the 21st.

This collective experience, now more than ever, is a meaningful journey for many of our students.”

Nothin’ left to do but smile, smile, smile.

Senior art students at Kamehameha Schools Hawaii High School, under the supervision of Cyndi Bartels, M. Ed. Visual Arts Instructor, created a “Maluhia” (Peace) Pole in conjunction with the elementary students’ “Pinwheels for Peace” project. The Peace Pole and pinwheels were displayed for the International Day of Peace on the school’s campus in Keaau, Hawaii.

 

Laura Dant, the Art Teacher at St. Francis of Assisi School emailed the Youth Art Peace Pole Project to say:  These pictures are of the Peace Pole created by the students from St. Francis of Assisi Elementary School.  St. Francis is located in Louisville, Kentucky.  Our school has an enrollment of 243 students.  We are ‘A Small School With A Big Heart‘ and this slogan truly does describe our school.  We are a Peace Builders school and all the students participate in a program called HearthPaths.  In this program each grade focuses on a different theme for the year and the students learn about that category during the school year (example kindergarten studies animals, 1st grade studies the elderly, 7th — grade death and dying, 8th grade — refugees, etc.) and how to interact with the subjects of their theme in a compassionate manner.

For the Peace Pole, all the students used their thumb print to create our picture.  The Peace Pole contains a “garden” at the bottom with blossoming flowers and butterflies.  The butterflies symbolize peace and gentleness. The blooming flowers symbolize being open to accept the responsibility to be a peaceful and gentle person.

Our school will display the Peace Pole in our courtyard. We usually have a prayer service and assembly around the International Day of Peace and this upcoming school year this assembly will center around the placing of the Peace Pole in the courtyard.

That is a lot of butterflies!