Artwork from around the world will be auctioned off on Thursday, May 17, at the Bethlehem Central Middle School Library Media Center, 332 Kenwood Ave., Delmar. All proceeds will to help construct a school for impoverished children in Uganda.

BCMS teacher's Global Coalition for Peace project uses art to help impoverished children

Children around the world using their artistic talent to educate impoverished children in Africa

How can a child in India or Russia help a child to go to school in Uganda?

By contributing art to the Global Coalition’s International Children’s Art Auction. The Global Coalition for Peace, Education and Cultural Awareness is a school based international project started eleven years ago by Bethlehem Central Middle School social studies teacher Bill Reilly.

The project creates a small international community of 25 schools around the world. More than 500 students, including 118 Bethlehem Middle School students exchange e-mails and collaborate on projects. One of their most significant projects is their art exchange. Each year the students create art to share with their international partners. The art that is sent to BCMS is posted on their Global Coalition website, http://bcsd.k12.ny.us/middle/global/global.htm

Every May, the artwork is auctioned off at the International Children’s Art Auction. The proceeds of this event go to a local Saratoga based non-profit, the Giving Circle Inc., where it will assist the group to build a school in an impoverished village in Uganda. Over the past few years, the auction has allowed the students of the Global Coalition to help construct a school in Belize, create a sustainable breeding herd for a village in Zimbabwe and send more than 600 students to school in Africa.

“This is a fantastic opportunity” said Reilly. “It is kids using their talents to educate kids! What an example of global leadership.” This year, in addition to the art auction, the 6th grade students of BCMS started a global micro-lending bank that helped over 100 people to start small businesses around the planet. Reilly says “It’s amazing what 6th graders can accomplish when they work collaboratively!”

The International Children’s Art Auction is being held on Thursday, May 17 at the Bethlehem Central Middle School Library Media Center, 332 Kenwood Ave. Delmar, NY 12054.

The preview is from 6:30 – 7pm with the auction from 7-9 pm. Over 100 lots of exceptional children’s art from Russia, India, Costa Rica, Uganda, Italy and more will be auctioned off. A $2 admission includes light refreshments and string performance during preview. All proceeds to help construct a school for impoverished children in Uganda.

For more info contact Bill Reilly at reilwms@bcsd.neric.org.