For well over a decade, Lutheran Northwest student artists have been participating in an extraordinary program called The Memory Project.

The Memory Project is a charitable nonprofit organization that invites art students to help cultivate global kindness by creating portraits for children around the world who have faced substantial challenges, such as violence, war, extreme poverty, neglect, and loss of parents. The portraits are then delivered to the children, who are always extremely excited to receive them! These very special gifts help them feel valued and important, and provide both a positive childhood memory for their future and a connection to others who care about their well-being. Since 2004, The Memory Project has helped 280,000 children and teens touch each others’ lives through art.

Over the years, Lutheran Northwest student artists have created more than 150 portraits, which have been given to children in Afghanistan, Peru, Guatemala, Nepal, India, Haiti, Ethiopia, Ukraine, the Philippines, Cameroon and - this year - to students in Nigeria. The 11 Lutheran Northwest participants include Seniors Lauren Rader, Samantha Robinson, Pamela Ruzycki, and Savannah Sievers; Juniors Andrew Berg, Jake Breithaupt, Carli Jungeberg, Tori Kern, Grace Schroeder, and Sydney Vollmert; and Sophomore Hannah Bernthal.

Check out some of this year’s portraits below, and learn more about this amazing organization by visiting The Memory Project website here!