The Brooklin School – a small elementary school in rural Maine – hosted eight AWTT portraits in March 2026. The “truth teller” portraits ranged from artists to civil rights leaders to scientists. AWTT artist Shetterly visited the students early in the month, introducing them to the portraits and engaging them in conversation about how committed individuals – and artists – can effect positive change in the world.

Near the end of the month, the school’s 5th-8th grade students created an event to showcase their multi-media projects and to share what they had learned by studying ordinary citizens who have made positive impacts in their communities. Projects included painted or collaged portraits and monologues and poems, written in the voices of the portrait subjects. Community members who attended the special event were impressed with how much the students had learned through their study of the portraits and their resulting commitment to contributing positively to their communities.

The culminating event was covered by the local newspaper, reporting that:

“One sixth grader . . . selected Samantha Smith for her research project because her story stood out, with Smith being so young. She learned that ‘anyone can really make a difference if they want to.’

“Some projects focused on well-known figures, like Rosa Parks, Abraham Lincoln and Muhammad Ali. Those students built upon knowledge they already had to learn something new.

“[One] seventh grader . . . said he selected Muhammad Ali because he really likes boxing. He had ‘no idea’ about Ali’s refusal to fight in the Vietnam War and gained a new perspective on the world-class athlete. ‘He’s really good with his words,’ the student said, feeling inspired that Ali ‘was able to speak up and had courage.’

“[An] eighth grader . . . knew he wanted to present on civil rights leader John Lewis after reading a quote from Lewis: ‘I decided to get in trouble. I decided to get in the way. But it was good trouble, necessary trouble,’ in reference to Lewis’s fight against racial discrimination. The student said this quote resonated with him. ‘It’s okay to get into trouble that makes the world better,’ he said.

“Other projects featured less famous people who still made a huge impact, like Maine State representative Chloe Maxmim, transgender rights activists Nicole and Jonas Maines, and Maulian Dana Bryant, a Penobscot leader who led the change for Columbus Day to become Indigenous People’s Day.

“For some students, the biggest hurdle was sharing their writing and artwork with their peers and the community. ‘Having confidence to have my work out and being shown’ was the biggest challenge, [a] sixth grader said. However, she added that her classmates ‘gave me the confidence to do this’ when they complimented her portrait.”

Read the full Weekly Packet story here.

The students also shared with the community their previous work with AWTT’s Samantha Smith Challenge. In that longer-term project, the students chose to explore the challenges of shellfish harvesting, focusing on clamming in Brooklin and learning about the biology of clams. The students’ goal is to ‘increase youth clammers’ in Brooklin, to counter the significant drop in local clamming over the last 20 years.

The students’ work was also included in a month-long display of student art at the nearby Blue Hill Public Library.

The month-long portrait-focused course of study was made possible through AWTT’s School Partnership Program. Learn more here and contact Connie Carter, Education Director, to explore a program a fits your students’ needs.