John F. Kenney Magnet School 3rd Graders Give Back During Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
January 22, 2014, Port Chester, NY: John F Kennedy Magnet School 3rd graders give back during a Martin Luther King JR Day of Service at Clay Art Center of Port Chester NY. Over 35 students and parents visited Clay Art Center on January 18th to create unique, hand-painted clay tiles as part of a service event in partnership with the Volunteer Center of the United Way.
Students of 3rd grade teacher Krista DiBernardo learned about Martin Luther King Jr during school and brainstormed ideas to include in their tiles that would embody Mr. King’s goals of unity, equality and non-violence. Parents and siblings joined in to celebrate the memory of the social activist and to leave their own expressive piece of artwork behind. The decorated tiles will be permanently installed at Clay art Center to beautify the classroom spaces. “When I read that the Clay Arts Center was holding a community event, I knew I needed my students to participate. The Center has been such an important part of our JFK community and the community of Port Chester since its opening. This was a perfect way to honor MLK and teach my students that his legacy lives on through us and how we care for our community.” Said JFK Magnet School 3rd grade teacher Krista DiBernardo.
The event is part of The Volunteer Center of United Way’s annual MLK Day of Service. Offered each winter as a way to mobilize volunteers and offer community service activities the MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community.
About Clay Art Center:
Clay Art Center is a not-for-profit ceramic art organization offering exhibitions, clay classes for adults and children, studio spaces for clay artists and outreach programs in the community. It is located in the heart of Port Chester at 40 Beech Street, Port Chester, NY 10573. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 10am-4pm or by appointment. For more information or images, please contact Ariel Edwards at communityarts@clayartcenter.org or 914-937-2047.
About The Volunteer Center of United Way:
Recently awarded a Top-Rated Nonprofit designation, The Volunteer Center is a one-stop resource devoted to increasing volunteerism in Westchester and our surrounding communities. We encourage adults to serve, youth to build character, families to bond, young professionals to lead, mature adults to share their wisdom and businesses to support our community. Through organized volunteer projects, as well as by connecting individuals to nonprofit organizations, The Volunteer Center helps people take action to strengthen the quality of life in their community. Over 254,000 hours of service were devoted last year to 500 nonprofits at a value of over $7.7 million. In September 2011, The Volunteer Center was designated one of ten Regional Volunteer Centers in the State of New York, covering the Mid-Hudson Valley. For more information, visit www.volunteer-center.org.
