Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — Some very talented students at the Goddard School of Philadelphia set their sights on crafting art masterpieces for an early look at art history and for a good cause too.

The students, in pre-kindergarten and pre-school age groups, studied a particular well-known artist and then went to work emulating them.

They learned about such icons as the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh and Philadelphia mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar.

Hilari O’Neill, Executive Director of the Goddard School says, “I really give so much credit to our teachers and faculty. They chose their individual classrooms and artists based on what they thought was most attainable for their kids to fully immerse themselves in. We had infants doing Jackson Pollock with imitation splatter artwork which was so fun!”

The classrooms soon became decorated with the watercolor imitations of the greats along each wall and adorned with art installations in every classroom at the school at 22nd and Pine in Philadelphia.

O’Neill says, “It’s a little bit of creative chaos but really it was a great opportunity. We change up our approach and our method to keep it fresh and fun and engaging not just for the kids, but the parents too.”

The artwork was then auctioned off as part of a benefit with parents bidding on their kids’ unique interpretations of the masterpieces. With these donations, the Goddard School was able to donate $10,000 to a local nonprofit called Fostering Hope.

Fostering Hope serves families looking to become foster homes. They help break down barriers to the process, donate items and make it easier for everyone involved.

For instance, the stigma attached to moving a child out and into a new home with just trash bags for their belongings has been mitigated by the gracious donations of real suitcases for that purpose.

Mary Mundy, Director of Outreach for Fostering Hope says, “If they want to keep a sibling group together, we will provide beds for them. For kids, a smartphone is a lifeline. Any youth between 14 and 21 can be recommended by a caseworker to receive a refurbished iPhone 11 or higher and a one-year mobile plan. So that’s an expense for us.”

The auction brought in much needed donated dollars for their mission.

In the end, the kids learned from the greats. And a great nonprofit received vital funds to further their cause.

For more information on Fostering Hope, please visit https://fosteringhopepa.com.

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