WCHS Students Customize Stools For Schools As KYLA Project
May 14, 2020 at 10:49 p.m.
WCHS Students Customize Stools For Schools As KYLA Project
By Staff Report-
Madeline Bowell, Emma Marsh and Brittany Duncan were nominated and selected to participate in the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy. In KYLA, students learn about leadership and community service through classroom and hands-on training. Each KYLA cadet must complete a community project, and the three WCHS students chose to design, create and donate a customized piece of art to each of the Warsaw Community Schools elementary buildings.
Working on the project since December, Bowell, Marsh and Duncan spent over 70 hours crafting, collaborating and creating hand-painted unique stools, according to a news release from WCS.
Duncan said, “We decided to make this our project because we wanted to give back to the foundation of our education. We thought elementary schools are an essential part of schooling and we wanted to show the staff how much they are appreciated.”
Bowell attended Jefferson Elementary. Duncan attended Washington and Claypool. Marsh attended Harrison, Madison and Eisenhower. While none attended Leesburg or Lincoln, these schools were not left off the gift list. All eight WCS elementaries will receive their unique school logo stool over the next few weeks.
It started in Kallie Kirkendall’s advanced art class. Bowell, along with friends Elizabeth Stone and Lily Boston, gave a customized stool decoupaged with old maps from the French Revolution to social studies teacher Betsey Vastbinder.
Vastbinder has since moved classrooms, but that piece of furniture traveled with her. She said, “My drab stool with scratches and scuffs was transformed from an eyesore to a conversation piece. It was such a gift to me to have a part of my classroom brightened up by someone with better skills at art and decorating than what I have.”
Teachers began to request their own. During May 2017, the trio customized 15 stools, transformed a coffee table into a piano for retiring choir teacher Judy Becker and renovated a podium for April Boggs.
Hearing about this KYLA project, Kirkendall said, “I couldn’t be more proud of my advanced art students who started this project in eighth grade. If they only knew how much they inspired me to be a better teacher. This class meant the world to me, my students meant the world to me, and I’m so thankful for each and every one of these incredible artists.”
More than just the artistry, these young ladies learned many other life skills.
In describing the process, Bowell said, “We thought it would be a quick and easy project. We soon realized it was going to take a lot of time, effort, communication and planning to execute a project on this scale for all eight schools.”
Duncan said, “It was a lesson in time management and communication. We learned so much about how to ask for help. It took multiple trips to Lowe’s, but we are so grateful for their donation of paint, brushes and sealant. We also relied on the generosity of friends and family who donated stools or cash.”
Marsh said, “The project might look simple, but we challenged ourselves to plan, design and deliver something that is one-of-a-kind to each school. Just as each school is unique with its specific school colors and logo, so are these stools.”
Bowell, Duncan and Marsh expressed their gratitude to their parents for all their support and to WCHS Principal Troy Akers for helping to make contact with the elementary principals, according to the news release. Bowell, Duncan and Marsh have already hand-delivered the stools to Leesburg, Eisenhower and Jefferson. They hope that this simple act of community service will inspire others to show their appreciation, to use their time and talents and to learn by doing for others.
Madeline Bowell, Emma Marsh and Brittany Duncan were nominated and selected to participate in the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy. In KYLA, students learn about leadership and community service through classroom and hands-on training. Each KYLA cadet must complete a community project, and the three WCHS students chose to design, create and donate a customized piece of art to each of the Warsaw Community Schools elementary buildings.
Working on the project since December, Bowell, Marsh and Duncan spent over 70 hours crafting, collaborating and creating hand-painted unique stools, according to a news release from WCS.
Duncan said, “We decided to make this our project because we wanted to give back to the foundation of our education. We thought elementary schools are an essential part of schooling and we wanted to show the staff how much they are appreciated.”
Bowell attended Jefferson Elementary. Duncan attended Washington and Claypool. Marsh attended Harrison, Madison and Eisenhower. While none attended Leesburg or Lincoln, these schools were not left off the gift list. All eight WCS elementaries will receive their unique school logo stool over the next few weeks.
It started in Kallie Kirkendall’s advanced art class. Bowell, along with friends Elizabeth Stone and Lily Boston, gave a customized stool decoupaged with old maps from the French Revolution to social studies teacher Betsey Vastbinder.
Vastbinder has since moved classrooms, but that piece of furniture traveled with her. She said, “My drab stool with scratches and scuffs was transformed from an eyesore to a conversation piece. It was such a gift to me to have a part of my classroom brightened up by someone with better skills at art and decorating than what I have.”
Teachers began to request their own. During May 2017, the trio customized 15 stools, transformed a coffee table into a piano for retiring choir teacher Judy Becker and renovated a podium for April Boggs.
Hearing about this KYLA project, Kirkendall said, “I couldn’t be more proud of my advanced art students who started this project in eighth grade. If they only knew how much they inspired me to be a better teacher. This class meant the world to me, my students meant the world to me, and I’m so thankful for each and every one of these incredible artists.”
More than just the artistry, these young ladies learned many other life skills.
In describing the process, Bowell said, “We thought it would be a quick and easy project. We soon realized it was going to take a lot of time, effort, communication and planning to execute a project on this scale for all eight schools.”
Duncan said, “It was a lesson in time management and communication. We learned so much about how to ask for help. It took multiple trips to Lowe’s, but we are so grateful for their donation of paint, brushes and sealant. We also relied on the generosity of friends and family who donated stools or cash.”
Marsh said, “The project might look simple, but we challenged ourselves to plan, design and deliver something that is one-of-a-kind to each school. Just as each school is unique with its specific school colors and logo, so are these stools.”
Bowell, Duncan and Marsh expressed their gratitude to their parents for all their support and to WCHS Principal Troy Akers for helping to make contact with the elementary principals, according to the news release. Bowell, Duncan and Marsh have already hand-delivered the stools to Leesburg, Eisenhower and Jefferson. They hope that this simple act of community service will inspire others to show their appreciation, to use their time and talents and to learn by doing for others.
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