Troy Howard Middle School announces that they will host nine AWTT portraits during the month of March 2025, as part of AWTT’s new Partnership Project. The purpose of this partnership program is to make portrait exhibits for a month available to public schools who qualify, thus allowing teachers and students to use this art and narrative in ways that an extended viewing period allows. Troy Howard is grateful to the greater Belfast community for being the fiscal sponsor for this opportunity.

Under the guidance of teacher Caitlin Hutt, the students have participated for several years in AWTT’s Samantha Smith Challenge. Having the portraits in the school for an extended period will give students the opportunity to engage with the portraits in deeper ways that will spark interest, courage, and action to find a voice about important issues and explore ways to work for the common good.

Go here to watch short video of THMS eighth graders presenting the AWTT portraits to Ames 5th grade students – one of the many dynamic student activities planned around the portrait exhibit.

In mid-March, Narrative 4 will join as a third partner, to offer – along with AWTT – some story-telling activities relating to the portraits.

Hutt was recently honored by the Association for Middle Level Education as its recipient of their 2024 Conrad Toepfer Award for the Civic Engagement of Middle School Students.  The award focuses on her work with students on the annual Samantha Smith Challenge.