Today was my first day back at school and our assignment couldn't have been more perfect. September 21 is the International Day of Peace and our inspired and inspiring art teacher, Ms. Susan Briggs, celebrated it by asking the students to make "Pinwheels for Peace," a project started in 2005 by two high school art teachers in Florida. On September 21, 2006, they estimate a million pinwheels were planted in 2,500+ locations! You can go to their website at http://www.pinwheelsforpeace.com to read all about it and to participate yourself.

This is the seventh year I've volunteered in Susan's art classes at a K-5 school in East Dearborn, Michigan. I've learned so much from her and from the students, most of whom are first or second generation immigrants from the Middle East. I started volunteering there in October 2001. It was my wish to do some small thing to counterbalance the terrible anti-Arab anti-Muslim attitudes and actions that were sweeping across America after the attacks on September 11th. My role there is loosely defined: usually I simply sit at the children's tables--a different one each week to keep it fair--and work on whatever art project they're working on. Today it was the Pinwheels for Peace.

Since I don't have parental permission to post photos of the children online, whenever I do take photos of them, I have to be sure they can't be identified. That's why this Grade 5 girl is holding her pinwheel in front of her face, and it's why the PBase gallery I've posted of the kids making art is focused on their hands. That gallery--"Young hands make art"--can be seen if you CLICK HERE.

My volunteer day this year is Thursday so don't be surprised if every Thursday afternoon (Detroit time) my photo-a-day has something to do with school.