John Cooper Students fill Woodlands hearts with community and artistic spirit with Empty Bowls event

THE WOODLANDS, TX – Recently, the John Cooper School hosted its annual Empty Bowls fundraising event, where hundreds of pieces of student-made art was auctioned off to local Woodlands art-appreciators, with proceeds benefiting Interfaith of the Woodlands Food Pantry.

Chiya Jauhari, the JCS senior class student who is president of the National Art Honor Society – the organization that sponsors this event – was thrilled at the turnout of both fellow students, teachers, and members of the public.

“We had a lot of help on hand, with other members of the NAHS manning booths for activities for little kids, overseeing the check-ins, running the silent auction, promoting t-shirt sales, and much more,” she said. “We have all worked hard since the beginning of the year, even back to last September with our planning meetings. We made the bowls back in November, painted them in January, and here we are today with a successful event.”

Jauhari – who claims she has been doing art since she was a “little baby” – has been involved with John Cooper’s art program since her freshman year; in her sophomore year she became secretary of the society – where she remained at that position through her junior year – and this year she successfully completed the long process to become president. She is currently planning to expand her artistic talents with additional skills by double majoring in studio art and math one one of the universities she is considering, including the London School of Economics, Boston College, and UT Austin.

“I think art is a great outlet for everyone,” she said. “I use it to express myself and my creative freedom. And it combines well with my involvement in the National Arts Honor Society; I get to use my skills and passion to benefit not only myself, but also the community and everyone around me.”

The event not only showcased the talents of numerous students, but also the dedication of the teachers and administrators at JCS. Jessica Holloway, the school’s director of communication, was well-pleased with the event.

“At this school, we believe in service to the community; it’s one of the main pillars of our mission – service, academics, athletics, and fine arts,” she said. “This is a nice combination of our students in fine arts using their handcrafted pieces that come from their heart and soul with a focus on feeding the community in need around us. It also allows students to use their art to inspire the community, to look beyond the school, reaching out and helping the people who might need it.”

Holloway applauds the efforts of the Interfaith Food Pantry. “We have always had a great partnership with them, along with wonderful relationships with other food banks as well,” she said. “Interfaith’s staff are the boots on the ground doing the work every day, meeting the people, seeing the needs, hugging the children, and helping the crying families. They’re the ones who do the heavy lifting and they help us be the intermediary between our young students and the population in need.”

Her pride in the John Cooper Students' dedication to the community is evident. “I can’t think of anything more important. The students here have huge hearts. They understand that there is a need, and they want to find a way to give back. The school and the teachers foster that. It’s everyday hands-on, real world learning and figuring out how we can be good partners and stewards in the community.”

The John Cooper School also recently finished its annual “Canstruction” event, where students worked together to provide more than 50,000 meals to Montgomery County residents in need. “We believe in the students putting in sweat equity, rolling up their sleeves, and putting in the time, and we are so proud of them for that.”