Video: Little ambassadors paint the town with their peaceful artwork

Students in the East Dallas and Fair Park area learn that little deeds can make a big difference.

FAIR PARK — A local non-profit called Today Marks the Beginning is starting young, teaching students from the middle school level to use art to create awareness for social issues. In essence, they're creating little ambassadors who truly believe that peace and equality can happen in their lifetime.

“Influence” project

Student Ana Vaquera pitches her artwork to the manager of a Minyard Food Stores.

The project, called “Influence,” is showing kids how to flex their public speaking skills as well as promote a more compassionate lifestyle. Students at Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School were challenged to create artwork that would "influence" their community and then muster up the courage to ask someone to hang it up publicly. That's when I met Ana Vaquera.

She said she was nervous as we walked into the Minyard supermarket in Dallas together this week. She was holding a glittery piece of art with a “hippie style” background. (“Hippies are peaceful,” she told me.)

Ana politely introduced herself to the manager of the store, Benjamin Carter, and like she was taught at school, explained to him that people are influenced – there's that word again – by their surroundings. She'd created a piece of art that symbolized peace and happiness on Earth, and she wanted to know if Carter would let her leave it at the store. He kindly said yes.

Ana is one of about 225 students at Irma Rangel who participated in the project, and the map at this site shows that little ambassadors' artwork is hung literally all over town.

“I think that peace is possible,” Ana told me. “The little things you do can make a difference. I hope people see this artwork and it influences them to take actions of their own.”

The whole thing just made me feel good. Keep an eye out at local libraries, supermarkets, and churches for art made by local students.