McNicholas High School
Cincinnati Students Collecting Art Supplies for Nicaragua
Written by Good Things Going Around intern, Andrea Francisco, a senior at Indian Hill High School
Recently, at my school, Indian Hill High School, I heard of an art supply drive for an impoverished community in Managua, Nicaragua. There, in the Batahola Community Center, students of all ages are learning skills that relate to basic and international cooking, natural medicine, sewing, cashiering, visual arts, how to speak english, and many more areas. This amazing community center was started by Friar Angel Torrellas and Sister Margie Navarro in the early 2000s and has grown into a wonderful nonprofit for the Batahola community.
Last spring, Gerardo Arias, an art teacher and amazing artist from the Batahola Community Center, came to McNicholas High School to paint a beautiful mural at the school. Meanwhile, Kimberly Engle, who has a son at McNicholas High School, was asked to host Gerardo while he painted the mural. Inspired by Gerardo, Kimberly set out to help bring art supplies to his students by holding an art supply drive at Indian Hill High School, where she teaches spanish. In this way, she has helped these Nicaraguan students, empowering them to grow, learn, and thrive through art.
Kimberly says of Gerardo, “He is so nice…and very passionate about helping the kids. He is very passionate about them taking his class as a sort of inspiration or therapy for their situation.”
Sister Margie Navarro, who helped found the community center, noticed that even from an early age Gerardo possessed a unique artistic gift. She became his mentor and nurtured his gift, ultimately leading Gerardo to college where he studied art. Today, Gerardo teaches art at the Batahola Community Center and is dedicated to teaching his students. Gerardo hopes someday to raise enough money to buy a document projector, which would display him as he is drawing on a projector screen, thus enriching his art classes.
If you want to donate, stop by Indian Hill High School, McNicholas, or St. Ursula High School to drop off art supplies. Any kind of art supply is welcomed, but acrylic paint is the most needed. Also, you can visit the Friends of Batola website, which is a group that works toward empowering the people of Nicaragua:
Students Donated Nearly $50,000 Through Magnified Giving
Last fall it was so wonderful to have been given the opportunity to learn about one of our region’s truly great philanthropists – Roger Grein when I helped raise awareness of his contributions. Roger has given to local nonprofits with his resources and his heart. However, his greatest legacy is in the hearts of thousands of young people in whom he and his Magnified Giving team of staff and volunteers have instilled long lasting generosity.
Magnified Giving is a nonprofit organization whose mission it is to educate, inspire, and engage students in philanthropy. Its vision of Magnified Giving is for every high school student in America, starting with the Greater 
Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area, to someday have the opportunity to learn first-hand how to be generous and wise philanthropists.
Each year, participating school groups are challenged to determine how they want to invest up to $2000 in a nonprofit. They research, evaluate nonprofit grant applications, fundraise to earn matching dollars – gaining leadership, communication, and teamwork skills as part of the process. This spring in a packed auditorium of over 600 students, teachers, nonprofits, donors, parents, and community leaders, nearly $50,000 was presented to causes doing great work.
“The most rewarding aspect of Magnified Giving is when what we do in the classroom reaches beyond the walls of the school in a tangible way. I see students ‘get it’ when they come back from a site visit,” said Julie Vehorn, director of curriculum and instruction at Roger Bacon High School overseeing her school’s Magnified Giving program.
Participating Schools
Aiken College & Career
Arlington Heights
Bethel-Tate
Bishop Brossart
Chaminade Julienne
Cincinnati Country Day
Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy
Covington Catholic
Dater
Elder
Holmes
Indian Hill
Kings
Loveland
McAuley
McNicholas
Miami Valley Christian Academy
Mother of Mercy
Mt. Notre Dame
Notre Dame Academy
Perry High School
Reading
Roger Bacon
St. Henry
St. Xavier
School for the Creative and Performing Arts
Seton
Shroder
Starfire University
Summit Country Day
Taylor
Ursuline Academy
Wyoming
Pilot Programs
Madeira Middle School
Northern KY Youth Advisory Board
