By Anna Krist, GES staffer

For the past few weeks, the Media and Marketing team has been working to include Evanston middle school students in the GES experience through an exciting new project called GES Colors.  Just last week, staff members went to Nichols Middle School and worked with 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th graders in their art classes to create posters inspired by global engagement.  Their work will be part of a contest, and the finalists’ posters will be displayed on the GES website for the entire GES community to vote on. The winners will have their posters displayed at the OpenShutter show in the spring, where they can invite their family and friends.

I was one of the lucky GES staffers who got the opportunity to work with the Nichols students.  After a short presentation explaining a little about GES, I helped the 8^th graders in Ms. Benson’s art class brainstorm designs for their posters.  Working together and individually, the kids were hilarious but thoughtful in picking out the different themes for their artwork, ranging from the water crisis to environmental issues.  They were all very excited about the GES logo, especially after we showed them the hidden letters in the symbol, and many of them incorporated it into their designs.  I was amazed by the creativity in some of their sketches, including their use of unusual materials like water bottles, innovative techniques such as folding, and the originality of their ideas.  I’m very excited to see the results of all of their hard work!

I loved this project because it was a fun way for GES to reach out to the Evanston community.  Projects like GES Colors are great ways to strengthen the connection between Northwestern and Evanston, and I hope to see students and their families and friends at the OpenShutter show this spring!  So be sure to keep an eye out for the finalists’ posters and vote for your favorites.