Heroes in Our Midst

What is a community hero? Who are they? FWCD second-graders set out to answer those two questions and more when they identified people in their communities who are making a difference. Firefighters, police officers, nurses, doctors, veterinarians, teachers, pastors and ministers, musicians, speech-language pathologists, nonprofit communications professionals, sports figures, a mayor, and more.

This interdisciplinary project, integrating visual arts, language arts, and social studies, allows second-grade students to celebrate everyday heroes in the community. Students select their community members and conduct interviews to better understand and connect with their heroes’ work. The art comes in when students photograph and then paint their heroes’ portraits. The final project showcases the community heroes’ stories through the students’ eyes.

“This is the sweetest project,” said Pamela Lancaster, Lower School Art Teacher. “The second-graders have worked very hard through all the steps of creating their portraits. I am very proud of them. The event on March 9 was super special. We had been looking at the photographs of our heroes for months. It was so nice to reconnect with them again in real life at the exhibit’s opening.” 

The Community Heroes project was created in 2010 by now Upper School Art Teacher Holly Clifford. Its purpose is to celebrate those who make a community work — teachers, coaches, caregivers, cafeteria workers, doctors, pastors, nurses, restaurant servers, firefighters, police officers, garbage and recycling collectors, engineers, building inspectors, and more. 

Parents and community heroes viewed the exhibition on March 9 from 6-7 p.m. in the Lou and Nick Martin Campus Center. They remain on display in the Martin Campus Center through April 1.