The Butterfly Project – Spreading Hope at Harmony

This October, we taught two origami workshops at the Harmony Schools in Northwest Houston. We visited a high school class at the Harmony School of Advancement first, followed by a middle school class at the Harmony School of Excellence. In many ways, these schools personify the diverse, yet harmonious, population of our city. We asked each class to share their names and cultural backgrounds with us. A few of the students were born in other countries, and many were the first of their family born in the United States.

This Butterfly Project, a collaboration with Citizenship Month Houston, will result in several butterfly installations around the city, including at City Hall, the Asia Society, and the Houston Public Library. The students that we worked with were very excited to learn that their butterflies would be a part of this citywide movement of hope. Many of them shared what butterflies symbolized to them, including freedom, transformation, beauty, and strength. It is the compassion and acceptance of our youth that will continue to spark change, and spread hope, for a beautifully diverse future.