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June 3, 2022

Our Stories: An EK and AHS Graphic Design Collaboration Project

Our Stories is a collaboration project where Early Kindergarten (EK) classes at Northwood Preschool Center provided drawings and writing prompts for graphic design students at Ames High School to illustrate. 

“One of our graphic design projects this year is to make a children’s book page,” said Ames High art teacher Lindsey Wede. Early Kindergarten students in Lindsey Wirth’s Northwood classes, bursting with imagination, would come up with the concept. They would often design a page, verbalize a story, or draw a picture of their idea. From there, the high school students would take the idea and create a digital version of it. 

Wede is always looking for ways to make their classroom art projects meaningful, whether through engaging with community organizations, gift-giving, or creating something based on personal inspiration. This project is an extension of creating meaningful art. 

“I think it reminds them of what it was like being that little kid,” said Wede. “It also reminds them, too, that not everything needs to be perfect. They look at this drawing that this young student did and they realize how fantastic it is.” 

Many of the stories are about talking animals but those themes can resonate across grades. “Milo’s Stripes” is about the power of friendship. “Pig on a Beach” is about learning how to swim. Throughout the collection, fears are overcome and dreams come true. “It has been a very fun and meaningful project and I love how it is connecting our students across grade levels.”

When the projects were complete, they were sent back over to Northwood to be shown and read to the class. For the Early Kindergarten classes, to be able to see their idea in a new graphic format was priceless. 

View the entire Our Stories collection