First graders’ creative drawings come to 3-D life through Pioneer High School art collaboration

Dicken Elementary first graders this week went on an unforgettable field trip that brought their artwork to life.

The fun began in their classroom weeks ago, where they designed and illustrated fantastical animals. Their colorful drawings were then entrusted to talented ceramics students at Pioneer High School, who transformed each two-dimensional creation into clay sculptures..

The first graders visited Pioneer High School on Wednesday for the grand reveal as each young creator met the high school student who had brought their drawing to life.

The fun was topped off with a crowd-pleasing activity—making and playing with colorful, gooey slime.

This innovative cross-age collaboration was the brainchild of Dicken first grade teacher Mallory Kairys and Pioneer art teacher Maribeth Sonsara, former University of Michigan STAMPS classmates who conceived this inspiring project last year.

“My students were beyond excited,” said Kairys at the end of the afternoon. “One student admitted he had been really worried about the quality of his drawing and whether the high school student would be able to create something from it. He and his family were blown away by the final result! It shows how the first graders’ imaginations really inspired the high school students’ creativity to bring their ideas to life. More than anything, they all had fun making art.”

The enthusiasm was equally strong among the older students.

“I know my big kids had a lot of fun—from making the sculptures to meeting their first grade artists and of course making slime,” said Sonsara. “So many of the kids were talking about how much fun they had, and they hope we can do it again next year. Some seniors even joked they would come back from college just to do it again.” 

In addition to visiting the ceramics studio, the elementary students had the opportunity to explore other creative spaces in E Wing at Pioneer. The first graders rotated through brief visits to the jewelry-making studio, an engineering classroom, and automotive technology, giving them a glimpse of the diverse educational opportunities that await them.