LJHS Students Create WHIRLED PEACE
In today’s world, peace needs to become more than just a word. On September 21, 2018, Lincoln Junior High students took part in an international art and literacy project, Pinwheels for Peace, by “planting” pinwheels with messages of peace outside for the community to see.
Pinwheels for Peace is an art installation project started in 2005 by two Art teachers, Ann Ayers and Ellen McMillan, of Coconut Creek, Florida, as a way for students to express their feelings about what’s going on in the world and in their lives. In the first year, groups in over 1,325 locations throughout the world were spinning pinwheels on September 21st - there were approximately 500,000 pinwheels spinning throughout the world. Last year (year 11), 2017, over 4.5 million pinwheels were spinning in over 3,500 locations, including the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada, the Middle East, Africa and South America. This project is non-political – peace doesn’t necessarily have to be associated with the conflict of war, it can be related to violence/intolerance in our daily lives, to peace of mind. To each of us, peace can take on a different meaning, but, in the end, it all comes down to a simple definition: “a state of calm and serenity, with no anxiety, the absence of violence, freedom from conflict or disagreement among people or groups of people.” Lincoln students created pinwheels of all shapes and sizes. As part of the creation process, they will write their thoughts about "war and peace / tolerance/ living in harmony with others" on one side. On the other side, they will draw, paint, collage, etc. to visually express their feelings. We assembled these pinwheels and on Friday, September 21 planted them outside Lincoln Junior High in order to spread the message of the International Day of Peace throughout the community. For more information, go to http://www.pinwheelsforpeace.com. |