Planets, stars and celestial swirls were formed by the hands of children and helpful adults at the corner of South Waterman and Orange avenues in El Centro.
The mural, which was originally done as a multi-cultural children’s theme with the Central Union High School Interact Club in the mid-1990s, has been given a new look to reflect the Hedrick Elementary School mascot, the “Superstars.”
“(It came about through) all of us coming up with unique ways to express school loyalty. It’s a perfect theme for it,” Dan Evers, director of The Rainforest Art Project, said Thursday.
Evers said Hedrick’s After School Enrichment and Safety program class of 20 students came together with volunteers from The Art Project, The Home Depot, the Imperial Valley Press and Wilson Junior High School to finish the student-made project in three weeks.
He said this project furthers the goals of The Rainforest Art Project to make students literate in art in order to help shape them to become better students and citizens.
“It’s the next step because last year we did that (Enchanted Desert Gateway) job at McKinley and it was so well-received that other principals wanted it in their schools,” Evers said.
“It’s just one step at a time to build art literacy,” he said.
“We care about the appearance of our community too and we’re pleasantly surprised by the response that this whole thing has gotten,” Richard Brown, project volunteer and assistant editor at the Imperial Valley Press, said.
Brown said the similar project Evers had already started with the school on the front of the Hedrick School office and public response to some of his editorial columns came together to get the ball rolling on the repainting of Hedrick’s mural.
From there the school continued to get its ASES students involved in all the painting, caulking and mosaic making, Principal Rauna Fox said.
“Without the Wilson Junior High student-mentoring our third- through sixth-graders, we could not have done it,” Fox said of the Rainforest Art Center workers of Wilson.
“It’s good peer support for my students,” she said.
The adults agreed that the art projects have build children’s self confidence and have given them a more active role in ownership of their school and community.
“As a parent, it’s important to teach your kids to get involved,” Brown said. “You can’t reap the benefits of something without putting in some work.”
“I think the example (to take away from this) is we’re proud of the community,” Mark McKane, Home Depot store manager and neighborhood resident said.
“I’m just happy we could do something in neighborhood and the surrounding communities in the Imperial Valley,” he said. “The takeaway for a business is get involved.”
Brown agreed.
“We can sit at the newspaper and do all these stories about people doing something or people complaining about something but we have a responsibility to do things ourselves,” Brown said.
“Even if it’s as small as a mural across from a school it’s still something,” he said.
IF YOU GO
What: The Rainforest Art Center Open House
When: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. today
Where: Wilson Junior High School old wood shop building, 600 S. Wilson Ave., El Centro
The mural, which was originally done as a multi-cultural children’s theme with the Central Union High School Interact Club in the mid-1990s, has been given a new look to reflect the Hedrick Elementary School mascot, the “Superstars.”
“(It came about through) all of us coming up with unique ways to express school loyalty. It’s a perfect theme for it,” Dan Evers, director of The Rainforest Art Project, said Thursday.
Evers said Hedrick’s After School Enrichment and Safety program class of 20 students came together with volunteers from The Art Project, The Home Depot, the Imperial Valley Press and Wilson Junior High School to finish the student-made project in three weeks.
He said this project furthers the goals of The Rainforest Art Project to make students literate in art in order to help shape them to become better students and citizens.
“It’s the next step because last year we did that (Enchanted Desert Gateway) job at McKinley and it was so well-received that other principals wanted it in their schools,” Evers said.
“It’s just one step at a time to build art literacy,” he said.
“We care about the appearance of our community too and we’re pleasantly surprised by the response that this whole thing has gotten,” Richard Brown, project volunteer and assistant editor at the Imperial Valley Press, said.
Brown said the similar project Evers had already started with the school on the front of the Hedrick School office and public response to some of his editorial columns came together to get the ball rolling on the repainting of Hedrick’s mural.
From there the school continued to get its ASES students involved in all the painting, caulking and mosaic making, Principal Rauna Fox said.
“Without the Wilson Junior High student-mentoring our third- through sixth-graders, we could not have done it,” Fox said of the Rainforest Art Center workers of Wilson.
“It’s good peer support for my students,” she said.
The adults agreed that the art projects have build children’s self confidence and have given them a more active role in ownership of their school and community.
“As a parent, it’s important to teach your kids to get involved,” Brown said. “You can’t reap the benefits of something without putting in some work.”
“I think the example (to take away from this) is we’re proud of the community,” Mark McKane, Home Depot store manager and neighborhood resident said.
“I’m just happy we could do something in neighborhood and the surrounding communities in the Imperial Valley,” he said. “The takeaway for a business is get involved.”
Brown agreed.
“We can sit at the newspaper and do all these stories about people doing something or people complaining about something but we have a responsibility to do things ourselves,” Brown said.
“Even if it’s as small as a mural across from a school it’s still something,” he said.
IF YOU GO
What: The Rainforest Art Center Open House
When: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. today
Where: Wilson Junior High School old wood shop building, 600 S. Wilson Ave., El Centro
