Scarsdale High School Students Help Underprivileged Kids with Art

Inspiring Art Throughout the Community

by @lindsayleboyer, Lindsay LeBoyer, guest blogger

Students add a mural to the walls of Scarsdale High School

Among hundreds of clubs at Scarsdale High School, there's one in particular that stands out as being beneficial to both its community and members: The National Art Honor Society. This club seeks to cultivate interest in art through community service, in-school projects, and town fundraisers. Find out what exactly NAHS does and how these students help their community.

About NAHS 

The National Art Honor Society meets every friday at 2:00 in the sculpture room on the 2nd floor of SHS. Art teacher Ms. D'Angelis serves as the club adviser, with several students serving as club officers. The National Art Honor Society, or NAHS as most members call it, has about 35 members from all four grades at the high school.

Beautifying the School

Planning Projects in the Art Room

One of the many activities club members participate in is painting murals in the school hallways. The school principal decided the high school needed more art, and called on none other than NAHS to do the job. Since last year, members have been planning and sketching out designs in the art wing. The club hopes to finish designing and start painting when school resumes in the new year.

Helping Underprivileged Kids 

Coachman Family Center houses up to 100 families

One of the best things NAHS does is teach art to children from struggling families. About different 5 members volunteer each week at Coachman Family Center in White Plains, where they spend time doing arts and crafts with underprivileged kids. The experience is just as rewarding for NAHS members as it is for the children. Students agree that their volunteer time really does help children forget about their hardships and have fun.

Spreading Art throughout the town 

Painting Pumpkins to Raise money and awareness

This past October, NAHS painted miniature Halloween-themed pumpkins. Members sold their creations on the day of Halloween window painting in hopes of bringing art to younger members of the Scarsdale community.

Induction 

Lindsay LeBoyer (center) writes fashion blog  The Style Child.

On the evening of December 7th, NAHS members gathered in the Little Theatre for the annual induction ceremony. In order to be officially inducted, each student must be enrolled in at least one high school art class and attain a certain grade. Inductees included Gabby Salvatore, Dana Wohlfarth, Madeline Ware, Paige Selber, Ally Yaseen, Lindsay LeBoyer, Becky Schwartz, Madeline Minke, Eliana Drescher, Felicia Xu, Sophia Noulas, Kara Schechtman, Maia Sacchi, and Rochelle Gage. The club officers spoke to parents about the purpose of NAHS, and a guest speaker from the Friends of Music and the Arts explained the importance of art in the community.

How else can artists help their community through public art projects?