Artists know well that art has a unique power to help people express and connect in ways that words often fall short. Sherri Butler, 7th grade art teacher at Buckhannon-Upshur Middle School, wants her students to connect with that power. 
Empowerment Academy District protocol #5 says that “Teachers and students collaborate with school and community members to implement place-based, student-driven projects. Through this project, students are learning that place and community sometimes have expansive definitions based on where and how we can provide help. Ms. Butler said, “What can a little art teacher in West Virginia do to help the cause?”
Students were going to be studying print making, so Ms. Butler worked with them to identify what messages they could to send through their choices of images and colors. Each student chose and created their design and carved it into foam in order to press the print onto paper. Some chose sunflowers to represent the flag of Ukraine. Many chose blue and yellow color schemes. They were encouraged to explore printing multiple layers of color and other print making methods. 
Students will be selling their prints through the school and any other avenue they can identify in order to fundraise for Ukraine. I asked students if they had identified which charity to which they will donate, and they seem to have narrowed their choices to either Samaritan’s Purse or the Red Cross.
Students and Ms. Butler are still figuring out how best to use the internet and the resources they have to sell the prints, but interested buyers can call Buckhannon-Upshur Middle School for more information. I had the privilege of being their first customer!