World Changers

I teach Contemporary World Culture to amazing 6th Graders and I want my students to know that even kids can make a BIG difference and impact the world they live in. By creating lessons that are relevant to real world issues, my students learn to make connections with a global village, appreciate the diversity of others and have an opportunity to be real world changers! We've reached out to students in Pakistan and Afghanistan by raising money to build schools for girls in remote mountain villages and for the past three years, we have sponsored a student in Uganda, Africa (you will meet her later). We have even hosted a World Peace Day on our campus. My students have big hearts and when there is a "Call to Action", they respond. I am always so proud of them; that is why I call them WORLD CHANGERS! Never under-estimate the power of kids!  I wanted to create something cool for my new classroom to inspire them (and me) to keep making a difference in the world. Here is what I came up with! I hope it inspires you too~

I found some cool paper mache block letters at Hobby Lobby and I actually got them half price (watch for bargains). They come in a natural color.

I started by spraying a clear coat of Krylon Matt Spray Sealer on each letter to seal the letters. It dried almost instantly.

I wanted my letters to spell the words WORLD CHANGERS, to reflect a global message and I also wanted to display them near my world map (and some cool lamps I'll show you later). So- I decided I wanted the front of the letters to have a world map theme. Easy enough, I bought a world map for $5.99 at Barnes and Nobles!

I traced each letter onto the map (they all fit on one map) and then I cut them out.

Since I wanted to match the colors in my classroom and the colors on the map, I bought several bright colored paint (you could choose one) and I painted each letter a different color. It took two-three coats to cover.

After the paint dried completely, I spray glued (remember, that sticky stuff) with Elmer's Spray Adhesive and placed them on front of the corresponding letter. Allow about 30 minutes for the letters to dry.

I finished off the letters with three coats of (you guessed it) Modge Podge Matte Finish. 

I think these are perfect for the message I wanted to send, however you could use just about any color or paper design to match your theme. By the way, I am standing mine up on a shelf, but you could also hang them on the wall. I would love to see your versions of this DIY. Please post!