Santiago Students Advocate for the Environment Through National Art Project

Santiago High School students gathered in a grassy field proudly displaying a colorful plastic parachute they designed for environmental advocacy."

Garden Grove Unified School District students from Santiago High School recently participated in “Parachutes for the Planet,” a national movement that invites students to come together and use their artistic talents to express concern for protecting our natural environment. The parachute created by students in Santiago High School’s Sustainability Council will be displayed at the Zero Hour Youth Climate March on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., July 19-21.

This project was put in motion after Earth Day this year, Santiago High School's Student Sustainability Council (SSC) joined the movement along with students from across the country. Through the generous donation of High Energy Sports in Anaheim, SSC received an actual parachute and over the remainder of the 2018 school year, students worked on a design, sketch and ultimately painted their vision onto the parachute. Their theme showcases a journey through the U.S. from the frozen tundra of the Arctic to the fall colors of New England's forests.

“We are always proud when our students invest their time and talents in important issues like this one,” said Board of Education President Bob Harden.  “It is inspiring to see our next generation of leaders lend their voice to create a  positive change for the environment.”

After its debut on the National Mall, the parachute will travel across the nation through 16 states with On the Road for Climate Action. It will then be returned to Washington, D.C. to be​ exhibited as part of the Mother Earth Project's Parachutes for the Planet World Inaugural Exhibition in  Georgetown National Waterfront Park, October 13-14.