Schools
Ellisville Elementary Students Make An Impact In India
A service learning project is connecting elementary school students with those in Delhi, India.
Through their participation in the "Bookwallah Project", students at Ellisville Elementary School created colorful quilt squares to help decorate orphanages in India. After decorating the quilt squares last year, Sue Costin, the grandmother of student Tucker Thomas, finished the project this year by transforming the students’ work into beautiful quilts.
One of the quilts was mailed to a boys’ home in Mangalore, South India. Many of the children in this home have lost parents to AIDS or have HIV themselves. According to Senna Jacob, coordinator for the Bookwallah Project, the quilt has given the children more hope and a sense of responsibility. The children prepared a video message to thank Ellisville Elementary for the gift. Another quilt created by the students was sent to a children's library in Delhi.
According to Assistant Principal Emily Dittmer, several additional quilt projects are in the works at Ellisville Elementary. "This project has helped students understand the needs and struggles of children in other parts of the world," said Dittmer. "In addition, it has shown them that art can connect them to others, regardless of how different their lives may be."
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