Through a yearlong project called Gracias San Antonio: Children Are Citizens, children become civic-minded by supporting the community, creating art, and learning about local nonprofits. Every year, children vote in a center-wide election to select a nonprofit organization to learn about and support throughout the year. Our teachers invite children and their families to explore local parks, historic sites, art exhibits, monuments, and establishments. Local artists join the classroom to help them create authentic artwork that expresses the children’s perspective of places they visit and explore. The art pieces are then displayed in a public gallery exhibit and auctioned to raise money for the selected nonprofit organization.