In honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, Communities in Schools of Auburn is teaming up with Auburn High School design students and their instructor, Diane Sarr, to beautify a local elementary school gym.

The project exemplifies the vision of Communities in Schools: to surround students with a community of support.

With a generous donation of paint and supplies from the north Auburn Sherwin Williams store, the high school students began painting the school motto and an old fashioned train on a plain auditorium wall.

“The gym is a gathering place and the mural provides students a connection to the past while moving forward into the future,” said Tim Carstens, school principal.

A former Terminal Park student, now in the 11th grade, made a return trip to work on the art project.

“There’s something special about Terminal Park – fifth grade here was my best year,” she said.

Another senior, who also worked on the design, added: “This project provides the opportunity to do something more than just high school work.”

Auburn High and community volunteers who signed up through United Way will complete the mural next Monday, the National Day of Service honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Communities In Schools of Auburn

CISA provides support for students focused on the two most significant risk factors for dropping out of school, poverty and lack of academic success. CISA helps students in need throughout Auburn and has both after school and day time tutoring programs at the elementary and middle schools in the downtown core. Last year 325 students received individualized case managed support and 5,983 students received whole school support. Visit the website at www.auburn.ciswa.org.