As part of a collaborative effort between two of the City's Arts & Culture programs; Artist in the Classroom and the City Hall Rotation program, Steve Simon's exhibit was showcased at City Hall. Featuring 35 striking oil paintings titled The Great Peacemakers, the exhibit was a natural fit for educational outreach and student engagement. More than 100 students from both West Sedona Elementary School and Sedona Charter School spent several hours at City Hall touring the powerful

collection. During their visit, they had the opportunity to hear a presentation by Steve Simon, who shared insights into how each of the featured luminaries brought about meaningful change in the world. Students learned about iconic figures such as Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, Martin Luther King Jr., Elie Wiesel, and others whose lives were dedicated to peace and justice.

The morning concluded with an uplifting music video by MC Yogi titled Be the Change. Through a creative blend of hip hop, electronic, and reggae music, the video delivered Gandhi’s timeless message of conscious living—a message that deeply resonated with the students. The combination of visual art, personal storytelling, and music created a memorable experience that underscored the enduring power of compassion, nonviolence, and individual action.

Joan Bourque worked for several years with all Principal Educators and grades at Sedona Charter School on an educational mural that wraps around the perimeter of the school's field. The Montessori philosophy is based on the Five Great lessons designed to awaken a child's imagination and curiosity. Joan engaged the students to first study, discuss and learn how to depict each lesson. She creatively had them turn their ideas into images, by practicing their drawing, design & painting skills and working together as a team.

The progression of the Five Great Lessons are:

1. Coming of the universe and Earth
2. Coming of life
3. Coming of Human Beings
4. Communication signs
5. The story of numbers

Delving deeper, students learned:

1. Astronomy, Meteorology, Chemistry, Physics, Geology, Geography
2. Biology, Botany, Habitats, Ancient life, Animals, Kingdoms
3. History, Culture, Social Studies, Discovery & Invention
4. Reading, Writing, language, Structure
5. Mathematics, Numbers, Geometry, Application

Advanced English and Language Arts students at West Sedona Elementary were taught eight types of poetry:

The students were paired with seniors at Sedona Winds. They interviewed their senior, took notes about their lives, and then returned to the classroom to write poems and stories based on what they recalled. Poet Claire Pearson worked with the students to help them feel comfortable performing their poems. The students created individualized bound books for their senior. After returning to Sedona Winds, each student performed their poem for the group and later broke into smaller groups to share the books they had created, complete with stories and illustrations.

Fiber artist Nancy Wilson worked with second graders at West Sedona Elementary. The students learned how to weave using fiber from Nancy's llamas. She taught them how to naturally dye the fiber and later how to felt it around soap. The felted soap was a gift for parents and acts as a natural exfoliant when used for washing.