DRAGONS AND THEIR ARTISTS A HIT!
The river was calm, the warm air made one think of the summer yet ahead. The sunset commanded attention with glorious colors sinking slowly into the evening. It was in fact, a perfect spring night on the Hudson River when, at the magical hour of dusk, some 30 dragons were sighted at the Chelsea Piers in Manhattan. Dragons of many different colors, sizes and shapes glittered and glowed in the candlelight as centerpieces for the annual Council for Unity 2008 Champions for Children Awards Dinner. These were dragons that made you smile!
For 6 weeks over 100 students at the IS 228 David A. Boody School worked with their art teacher, Lisa Banker, to create papier mache dragons to adorn the tables at the dinner. Newspapers, glue, tape, glitter, and paint covered the “dragon making factory” in the second floor art room. The young artists were imaginative. Work was intense. The atmosphere was productive. There was a deadline to be met.
David A. Boody is one of over 76 schools in New York State with a Council for Unity chapter. The mission of the organization is to empower young people, individuals and groups with the skills necessary to promote safety, unity and achievement in schools and communities. Their curriculum based program began over 30 years ago as a way to address the issues of bullying, bias, and safety in schools and in after school settings. The Council for Unity teaches children confidence building skills, leadership and tolerance, to peacefully and productively manage their lives.
The Council for Unity Dragon Slayer curriculum uses the dragon and its’ symbolism to represent the feelings and fears that must be overcome or slain, enabling young people to aspire, and progress and realize their potential.
The young people who created these dragons were as diverse as their creations but by working together their differences were, in the end, their strength. All were important to the whole.
And so while over 250 guests at the Champions for Children gala were delighted with the dragons - they were clearly a hit of the evening – the most important lessons had already been learned. The products were spectacular but the process was everything.
Principal Dominick D’Angelo said “this project was a great example of education, teaching and learning at its best. It is what IS 228 is all about.”