Press Releases

Students from The Art Institute of Atlanta Surprise Kids in Need with Bedroom Makeovers

On March 11, 2016, five young students from Hamilton E. Holmes Elementary School received the surprise of a lifetime. A team of volunteers, including students from The Art Institute of Atlanta, performed a makeover on the students’ bedrooms while the children were away. The children are from three families and their ages range from 7-11 years old.

To make the surprise a reality, volunteers assembled furniture at Hamilton E. Holmes Elementary, then took it to the students’ homes. While parents and friends were in the homes during the installation, the young students weren’t onsite until the reveals.

The Art Institute of Atlanta played an instrumental role in fundraising to make this project a reality. Additionally, six students from the school helped to install new bedroom furniture—while adding creativity to the spaces via pieces purchased by The Art Institute of Atlanta community.

The project was developed by Communities In Schools of Atlanta, and the idea for the makeovers was extremely popular among the students’ parents. The elementary students were already active in community service through the Communities in Schools of Atlanta program. Their parents were asked to write in and explain why the students should win the makeover. Those who won the makeovers had difficult stories—including a student who has been sleeping on the floor, another who had her bedroom destroyed by squatters while the family was away, and a family lead by a single mom that saved for years to buy a home.

The Communities in Schools of Atlanta, founded in the 1970s, has a mission to ensure that children understand the importance of giving back to others—even if the children themselves are underprivileged. The students from Hamilton E. Holmes Elementary have already worked on programs to raise money and resources for local nonprofits Jerusalem House and Covenant House. 

Additional sponsors of the room makeovers included The Art Institute of Atlanta, Paige Turner, Big Lots, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity East Point Chapter, and AmeriGroup Insurance Company.

The Art Institute of Atlanta is one of The Art Institutes, a system of private, non-profit schools throughout the United States. Programs, credential levels, technology, and scheduling options vary by school and are subject to change. The Art Institute of Atlanta, 6600 Peachtree Dunwoody Road, N.E., 100 Embassy Row, Atlanta, GA 30328-1649 © 2019. The Arts Institutes International LLC. All rights reserved.