Painting desks for local children
Rows of brightly colored desks lined the Magnolia Quad on April 16 as Wake Forest students painted them for local elementary school students.
More than 60 students from Old Town Elementary came to campus for the annual D.E.S.K. (Discovering Education through Student Knowledge) event. They watched as their desks were painted, played games led by campus organizations and had their faces painted. Some children even grabbed a brush to help.
“Having my own desk will help me concentrate more on my homework and studying,” Natalee, a fifth grader, said as she picked up a paint brush and filled in pink flowers on the side of her bright blue desk. “Plus it has all of my favorite things.”
D.E.S.K. was established in 2004 after Wake Forest students identified a lack of workspace in the homes of students they tutored. The event pairs each child with a participating campus organization. Representatives from each group met with their student last month in order to design and paint the desk according to the child’s interests. Many children chose to have their desks decorated with their favorite cartoon characters, sports and hobbies.
This year’s co-chairs were seniors Meredith Browne and McKenna Begin. The theme was Madagascar so each child received a Madagascar-themed book and t-shirt.
“D.E.S.K. is a unique event because it brings elementary school children to the Wake Forest campus and teams them up with a student group,” Browne said. “We encourage their academic studies by providing them with school supplies, a desk that is uniquely theirs and a book. I love this project.”
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