Centre County PAWS will host a themed art exhibition next week led by local students.
The nonprofit animal shelter is partnering with ModSchool, a Pennsylvania-based education startup, to host the event from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26, at 1401 Trout Road in State College. The exhibition will feature “emotionally aware” animal art created by local high schoolers.
According to organizers, students led the charge in bringing the art exhibition to fruition. Central Pennsylvania native Lyndie Dubbs, Modschool’s co-founder, project coach and curriculum coordinator, said involved students created featured artwork, designed merchandise, coordinated event materials and led branding strategy.
“The students are invested in learning because the work they are doing is real,” Dubbs said in a statement. “They’ve studied operant conditioning and researched empathy in their communities. Now, they get to make a difference by raising money for a local animal rescue through their artwork.”
The upcoming event is free and open to the public, although donations to Centre County PAWS are encouraged. Those who offer contributions of $10 or more during the open house will receive a free item from the Savory Station. The Bellefonte-based food truck, known for its sandwiches and mac and cheese, will offer food for guests at the event.
While displayed artwork is the centerpiece of the upcoming exhibition, the event also doubles as an open house at Centre County PAWS. Guests are encouraged to take tours of the shelter, meet with its many cats and dogs and learn more about the organization’s work to promote animal welfare and safety through adoption and sheltering services, educational efforts and community assistance.
Founded in 1980, Centre County PAWS serves as the county’s leading nonprofit animal shelter. While its services have evolved over time, the organization made a splash last year when it opened a community food pantry to help local pet owners keep their animals fed during rough times.
ModSchool, meanwhile, works to offer cutting-edge project-based learning programs to high school students through online, homeschooling services. The Philadelphia-based startup was founded by Dubbs and Colin McCarthy, who led similar project-based learning programs at Cheltenham School District in Montgomery County.
“At ModSchool, we use project-based learning to deliver a combination of dynamic and social-emotional learning. The stakes being real for students allows them to achieve success through problem-solving,” McCarthy said in a statement. “Students learn a lot about who they are as they creatively solve problems that matter to them. This is one thing that separates [project-based learning] from traditional education.”
For more information on ModSchool’s services, visit its website.
