The Arrow Center for Education in Hunt Valley looks a lot brighter today, thanks to an incredible outpouring of community support.
On June 27, volunteers, staff and partners rolled up their sleeves for Arrow’s inaugural Day of Service ‘Painting Brighter Futures’, helping the school have a refreshed, sensory-friendly environment.
Teams spent the day painting separate areas, replacing worn walls with the new staff and student chosen bright, clean colors.
There is an obvious physical transformation of the building, but the true change goes far deeper than a fresh coat of paint.
For the students at Hunt Valley, who navigate unique challenges, the physical environment plays a massive role in daily learning. A calm, structured space helps minimize sensory overload and allows students to focus on reaching their full potential.
“Our environment impacts us in so many ways, like when you make changes to your home and you feel better, it’s the same for our students,” Arrow’s Senior VP of Maryland Programs Jennifer McGlothlin-Renault said. “For our students to get to this school, things have had to not work for them yet, so having a school they can walk into and feel pride, confidence and value sets them up for a great day of learning and success.”
This ambitious project was made possible by a wave of generosity that helped Arrow meet its operational needs for the day. Local businesses, donors and partners stepped up with monetary contributions, paint supplies and equipment, ensuring the volunteer teams had everything required to get the job done.
By the end of the afternoon, the classrooms were revitalized and reimagined.
It’s special to see the change possible when we come together.
“I always tell my facilities team that each dollar we spend is a dollar that does not get to go to a child or to a family, so we want to make sure that our investments are where they need to be,” Senior Director of Facilities Paul Hughey said. “We conduct facility assessments across Arrow to determine what our priorities are, this particular school rated very highly.”
Arrow extends its deepest gratitude to every single person who gave their time, funds and energy to make this Day of Service a success. While you helped make upgrades to the Hunt Valley campus, you also showed our school youth that Arrow is in their corner.
Check out the photos for a glimpse at the incredible teamwork that took place for the Day of Service here.
Learn more about our Arrow Center for Education Schools.