Turtle-ly Thankful: Reflecting on Our Adaptive Art Show
Last February, my Adaptive Art classes hosted my school's first-ever Turtle Love Benefit Art Show—a meaningful event that brought our school community together to celebrate creativity and compassion. The Turtle Love Benefit Art Show was the public product for our Project Based Learning PBL exploring, "How can we help sea turtles in art class?" The show raised donations for SEE Turtle's Billion Baby Sea Turtles Project, an organization working to protect endangered sea turtles. Every dollar raised helped save ten baby sea turtles, and our students were thrilled to know their art could make a real-world impact. We saved over 1800 baby sea turtles!
The event was more than just a fundraiser—it was a celebration of adaptive learning, student voice, and perseverance. My students, many of whom work with Occupational Therapists and Speech and Language Pathologists, showcased their artwork and their ability to communicate, advocate, and express themselves through creative media. The connection between baby sea turtles and my students was powerful: both face challenges with courage, perseverance and determination, and both deserve to be protected, uplifted, and celebrated. You cannot help but smile when talking about or working with baby sea turtles, and similarly, a smile is inevitable when spending time with my adaptive art students and viewing their artwork.
As I reflect on that day, I’m filled with gratitude and inspiration. This year, I’m planning to bring the event back—with a seasonal twist. In November, we’ll host the Turtle-ly Thankful Benefit Art Show, a fall-themed version of our original event. It will be a chance to give thanks, share our art, and continue supporting the Billion Baby Sea Turtles Project.
Stay tuned for more details—and if you’re local, we’d love to see you there!
Comments