Summer Journal for Local Youth

In the winter of 2019, a group of students from Foothill High School started Pens and Paints Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to engaging local youth in the arts. The four founders - Annika Gangopadhyay, Arya Krishna, Sandra Srinivasan, and Samyukta Chittoor - are a group of upcoming high school sophomores with expertise in visual arts and writing. They use their skills to coordinate various art-based activities for elementary and middle school students in the community. These opportunities include teaching visual arts to students from Donlon Elementary, providing art writing workshops at Safari Kids, and art contests such as Eunoia: Beautiful Thinking. Further information on their past activities can be found on their website.

Recently, they’ve opened up a page of their website as a platform for students aged 13 and under to submit visual art or writing pieces to The Summer Journal. Submissions will be visible on the page until the middle of the fall season as part of an online journal. This opportunity provides youth with exposure to submitting and developing their work, skills that will help prepare them for submitting to other platforms in the future. It is also an enjoyable activity for those who love art as a hobby. To submit, please view the attached flyer and visit the entry form: https://tinyurl.com/y89fu7cf.

To stay up to date with Pens and Paints Foundation and join a community of passionate artists, visit their Facebook page (@pensandpaintsfoundation), website, and Instagram: @pens.and.paints.foundation for writing tips, quotes, inspirational artwork, and more. To donate and help the nonprofit host more activities in the future, please visit their campaign here.