What Miami-Dade Public School Students and Teachers Created from Donated Supplies Surprised Everyone

The Education Fund's For the Love of Art Charity Auction & Honoree Celebration, Presented by Ocean Bank, Took Place at Jungle Island on May 18

MIAMI, FL, UNITED STATES, July 23, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On Monday, May 18, 2026, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) students' creations took center stage at The Education Fund's For The Love of Art Charity Auction & Honoree Celebration, raising more than $100,000 for public school students.

Presented by Ocean Bank at Jungle Island, the event also celebrated Miami's public school graduates. Alongside the auction, The Education Fund (educationfund.org) presented its annual Alumni Achievement Awards, recognizing community and business leaders who are graduates of Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

Attendees enjoyed live music, an open bar, hands-on art activations, and an epicurean feast, while bidding on luxury items and one-of-a-kind pieces created by public school students and teachers. All proceeds benefit arts education and The Education Fund Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials, which has contributed more than $32 million worth of materials to public school classrooms since its inception.

In addition to the Public School Alumni Achievement Award Honorees listed below, speakers and presenters included:

Alan Alvarez, Director of Government & Community Affairs, RSA Consulting Group (Emcee)
Mari Tere Rojas, School Board Chair, M-DCPS
Roberto Alonso, School Board Member, M-DCPS
Dr. Michael Lewis, Deputy Superintendent, M-DCPS
Jeanelle Boscan, SVP & Head of Human Resources and Marketing, Ocean Bank
Angelica Santibanez, Head of Community Engagement, Florida and Latin America, Amazon
Laura Tauber, Principal, Taubco
Rolando Aedo, COO, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau
Norma Jean Abraham, Anthony R. Abraham Foundation

This year's auction featured two categories: Art of Found Objects, showcasing works built from donated surplus materials, and Beyond the Page, a new paper art category made possible by a grant from the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation. The Beyond the Page initiative brought paper as an artistic medium into Miami-Dade County Public Schools classrooms, giving students a new creative outlet and expanding arts programming across the district.

"The Art of Found Objects program is a remarkable example of what happens when the community invests in public school students," said Dr. Jose L. Dotres, Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

"Because of Ocean Bank's longstanding support of The Education Fund, our teachers have access to free supplies, and our students have the opportunity to develop as artists. That kind of investment changes what is possible in a Miami-Dade classroom."

From Donated Items to Art:
Every piece in the auction started with a teacher loading a cart of free supplies at The Education Fund Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials: fabrics, paint, glass tiles, cigar boxes, discarded furniture, things most people walk past without a second look. Teachers brought these surplus materials back to their classrooms, and together with their students, they transformed them into the spectacular works of art that filled the room at Jungle Island on May 18.

"The Education Fund's art initiatives connect our Miami-Dade County Public Schools students with the broader community and that is also so powerful. When businesses and art lovers celebrate students' creativity, it validates their work in a way that nothing else can," said Raydeivis Soguero, an Art Teacher at Booker T. Washington Senior High School.

Since the 1984–85 school year, The Education Fund has raised $99 million for Miami-Dade County Public Schools students.

"Ocean Bank has been proud to support The Education Fund and Miami-Dade County Public Schools for more than three decades," said Jeanelle Boscan, SVP and Head of Human Resources and Marketing of Ocean Bank and an Education Fund board member. "Seeing the stunning artwork that public school students and teachers create from the materials in that warehouse is a powerful reminder of why this work matters. We are honored to have presented For the Love of Art and to help ensure that every teacher and student in this community has what they need to succeed."

"When you say, 'That piece of art was a Miami-Dade County Public School student in 10th grade,' it's impressive," said Angelica Santibanez, Head of Community Engagement for Amazon in Florida and Latin America.

The Education Fund's initiatives include Florida's first free school-supply warehouse; Food Forests for Schools, a first-in-the-nation initiative that installs living eco-learning labs in schoolyards; a college-and-career initiative that helps students get on the SmartPath to Life; and numerous other innovative programs designed to help public school students succeed.

"Every resource we bring to Miami-Dade County Public Schools starts with a private-sector commitment to public education," said Linda Lecht, president of The Education Fund. "For the Love of Art is the most visible expression of that. Businesses donate supplies, teachers and students create extraordinary art, and the proceeds go right back into the classroom."

2026 Public School Alumni Achievement Award Honorees:

Hector E. Aguililla, Principal, Baker Tilly
Dr. Dawn M. Baglos, Chief Human Capital Officer, Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Farah Bridges, Director of Litigation, Cleveland Clinic
Ana Marie Cain, CRA Specialist, Bradesco Bank
David J. Clark, SVP of Operations, Broward Health
Dr. Carmen Concepcion, Dean, School of Education, Miami Dade College
Curtis J. Crider, President & CEO, Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association
Karen Shosfy, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications, Paramount
Lawrence Kaplan, Former President, Lawrence Factor Inc.
Yara Klukas, First Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida
Alex Mena, Executive Editor, Miami Herald / el Nuevo Herald
Grant Miller, Owner and Publisher, Miami’s Community Newspapers
Yolanda Nader, CEO/CFO, Dosal Tobacco Corporation
Ken O’Keefe, Founder, BPOC
Emma Pacetti, Executive Vice President, Grove Bank & Trust
Jose Sirven, Partner, Holland & Knight
Randall Vitale, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Vitale Partners

The Education Fund's For the Love of Art was presented by Ocean Bank (Member FDIC), with additional major support from Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation, Amazon, The Kirk Foundation, Peacock Foundation, Inc., Knight Foundation, Ken O'Keefe and Jason Stephens, South Florida Business Journal, and Miami Herald.

For more information about The Education Fund, For the Love of Art, and all non-profit programming, visit educationfund.org.

About The Education Fund
The Education Fund brings innovative methods to local public schools, raises awareness about public education, and encourages private-sector investment.

Linda Barrocas
The Education Fund
+1 786-734-6099
lbarrocas@educationfund.org
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