"I Love You To Pieces" Help a Special Ed Teacher with an Art Project for her Class #BlickARA

I remember when The Boy was first diagnosed with autism, he couldn't clap his hands or point his finger let alone hold a crayon to color or a pair of scissors to cut.

Suddenly art became part of his therapy, something that needed to be taught. Something that was work. And in the beginning, coloring wasn't his favorite thing. Cutting was frustrating. And let's not even get started on gluing.

And then one day all of that changed. Art became fun for The Boy. He started asking for crayons. He started coming home from school and was eager to show his art work. As for cutting and gluing? I have to hide the scissors and glue. 

Art allows The Boy to express himself in a way he can't do so verbally. He takes pride in his work and his creations bring him both joy and satisfaction.

      
So I am thrilled to partner with The Motherhood and Blick Art Materials to help The Boy's former teacher, Kiley, raise funds for art supplies using Blick's Art Room Aid program.

The Art Room Aid was created in 2009 by Blick Art Materials. A company that focuses on educational and professional art supplies, Blick has also consistently supported arts education in diverse ways. Whether sponsoring art scholarships or creating lesson plans that address national standards of learning while easing the burden on busy educators, Blick understands just how important collaboration is. 

Blick continues to nurture that deeply rooted investment in the arts and in educational communities with Art Room Aid. As the world becomes increasingly linked, skills like visual communication and creative problem-solving are more important than ever. 

If you’re an art educator, Art Room Aid provides the tools to easily share your dreams and funding needs without complicated applications or fees that take away from contributions. If you’re an arts advocate you can quickly locate a project that resonates with you and make a high-quality contribution that will go directly to a project in need. 

For more information check out the "help/FAQ" is a great resource: http://www.dickblick.com/ara/help/faq

An art major in college, Kiley - now a special education teacher - understands the importance of art, especially for children with autism. Kiley believes "art builds independence, imagination and creativity. It also gives our students a new way to communicate and express themselves when sometimes words are not possible." 

Kiley was eager to set up her Art Room Aid program to create her wish list of supplies for a Valentine's Day project: I Love You to Pieces. Kiley will use puzzle pieces and have students color them for their parents, she will assist her students to write "I love you to pieces" on them.

If you would like to support Kiley and help her student give their parents a gift they will cherish for years to come, please visit Kiley's wish list here - http://www.dickblick.com/ara/lists/2700/home. Every little bit helps and is always appreciated.

Kiley's favorite picture about art

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with The Motherhood and Blick Art Materials. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.