“Juah’s Freedom Collage,” a piece by a second grader at Hancock Park Elementary, sold for $50 at the Making the World a Better Place silent auction. (photo courtesy of Hancock Park Elementary)

Hancock Park Elementary recently held the first Making the World a Better Place silent auction, a collaborative project with teachers, students and local artists, raising more than $2,400.

The project started with an inquiry-based project of learning about people who make a difference in the world, such as Vice President Kamala Harris, Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai and Indian anti-colonial activist Mahatma Gandhi.

The event helped students learn that they can make a difference by simply creating art or a book or project. The project generated more than 150 art submissions from kindergarten through fifth grade. Half of the profits from the auction will go to People for Community Improvement in South Los Angeles, a Black-owned nonprofit organization that was selected through a student survey and helps people who are unhoused in Los Angeles. The remaining funds will be used for needed outdoor classroom supplies, such as stools, cushions and tables for students to use when in-person instruction resumes.

For information, visit hancokparkschool.com.