Brunswick Acres Elementary School students Layla Toner (left) and Casey Jarvis decorate shells as part of the “Shells for the Shore” project, which is raising money for those affected by Hurricane Sandy. PHOTO COURTESY OF SUZANNE TIEDMANN Suzanne Tiedmann sells seashells for the Jersey Shore. Tiedmann, an art teacher at Brunswick Acres Elementary School in South Brunswick, is spearheading a project called “Shells for New Jersey Shores” to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Sandy. The project, started in her own art classroom after school resumed in South Brunswick, has since brought the project to other art classes across the country.
“During the time we didn’t have school because of Sandy, I decided that with something as devastating as this hurricane, everyone should try to do something with the recovery and rebuilding [effort], and that includes children,” Tiedmann told the Sentinel. “I’m inviting students and artists to create and sell shell-themed art for Sandy relief.”
Two art teachers in Florida, who created a similar project to benefit Haiti after a January 2010 earthquake devastated the region, inspired Tiedmann to replicate the project in her own classroom.
“These teachers asked people to create mini-houses, and people would donate the proceeds to … help people in Haiti rebuild,” Tiedmann said. “In order to custom-tailor it to New Jersey, I picked the shell theme, which is a good symbol for what happened with Sandy.”
Tiedmann spread the word about her project through social networking like Twitter and Facebook, on which she is connected to art teachers throughout the country. These networks, which she called “Professional Learning Networks,” caught on to Shells for New Jersey Shores and began to replicate the project in their own classrooms and art communities.
“These teachers are sending me pictures,” Tiedmann said. “People from all over are starting to participate in this project.”
Social networking has allowed Tiedmann to connect with some art teachers who lost everything. One particular art teacher from Belmar posted pictures to Facebook of her ruined classroom, where all her supplies were destroyed.
“Her classroom was in the basement of her school, and it was completely flooded floor to ceiling,” Tiedmann said. “We get to see firsthand another art teacher who was personally affected, and through our networks, this teacher was able to share a link to her school’s fundraiser so they can begin to rebuild.”
The project collects money independently from the project sales; people can independently create and sell their shell projects and then donate the money they earned to the organization’s website, www.shellsfornjshores.weebly.com.
Tiedmann had raised nearly $1,500 by press time, but the amount changes with each day and with each project sold.
“People can visit that site to see the number growing, and every time they see it growing, it means that there’s one more piece of artwork created by someone that is helping New Jersey rebuild,” Tiedmann said.
Tiedmann said that there is no concrete place where the money will be donated, but she will be collaborating with her art students to decide where the money goes.
“There are several possibilities for organizations we can donate to, or we could personally send it to a school’s recovery efforts,” Tiedmann said. “This whole project is truly a collaborative effort.” Contact Stella Morrison at [email protected].