Our schools today are faced with a few more challenges in teaching. It isn’t just math and science, some fine and gross motor skills. Our children need to be taught much more, for they carry the weight of the future on their shoulders.

This reality is at the heart of Sandpoint Academy of the Arts Giving Campaign.

The small private school in Sandpoint teaches children from pre-school age to 5th grade in a unique learning environment that encourages community and social responsibility. With this in mind, the school’s founder and director, Lorri Goodman, designed the Giving Campaign as a means for the children to give back to the community in which they thrive.

Every year, the children gather and come up with ideas in which they can support their town or peers. Sometimes the teachers throw in ideas, but the children themselves have come up with and voted for the projects of their choice.

They’ve spent the last five years collecting metal pull tabs for the Ronald McDonald House, who has a recycling project that raises thousands of dollars for their cause each year.

The children baked cookies for the police department and the fire department after learning about the jobs of our public servants. They regularly visited assisted living facilities to play games and read stories with the residents.

They baked animal biscuits and deliver them to the Panhandle Animal Shelter after collecting over 200 lbs of food for the animals (who were also read to, because all puppies and kittens like Dr. Seuss).

Perhaps most unique about this campaign is that it is led by the students. Their drive and desire to provide support to the organizations and people of the community has become self-perpetuating. Every day they come with more ideas on how to give back, some more feasible than others.

This coming school year, they’d like to know from the community how they can contribute and are gathering ideas as they design their 2016/2017 Giving Campaign.

The school is also working to achieve non-profit status to facilitate collaboration with and for other non-profits in the area. This will also help them work towards further grants to support their educational projects such as the Giving Campaign.

If you or your organization would like to submit a proposal or you know someone who would benefit from the Giving Campaign, you can contact [email protected]

It is Sandpoint Academy of the Arts, Inc. policy to not discriminate against any persons with regard to race, color nationality, ethnic origin, or disability and to provide children and parents with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in the centers programs and services, in compliance with state and federal laws and the Federal Americans with Disability Act. Furthermore, students are admitted with out regard to race, color nationality, ethnic origin, or disability. However Sandpoint Academy of the Arts, Inc. reserves the right in its sole discretion to refuse admission or the continuation of services to those whose needs are unable to be met by its program.