Stained glass made by Germantown High students will beautify North Philadelphia school

Germantown High School students are using their artistic talents to create stained-glass windows for the Community Partnership School in North Philadelphia, a school that focuses on quality education for low-income students.

The GHS teens are a part of “The Stained Glass Project: Windows That Open Doors” after-school program, which takes place across the street from the school at the First United Methodist Church of Germantown.

Glass sculptor Paula Mandel and digital painter Joan Myerson Shrager started the program six years ago.

This is not the first time the program has made windows for other schools. In fact, part of the process is learning about the recipients.

Giving back

In 2010, students made 18 windows for a school in South Africa and last year, they made windows for a New Orleans school that was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina.

This spring, students will participate in a hands-on art project with the Community Partnership School.

“Our history is to donate the windows to children who need them. They are very deserving,” said Myerson Shrager. “The students learn how to think outside the box, to make independent decisions. It’s art, so there are no wrongs.”

In years past, the project has been featured at the Independence Visitor Center in Old City and the Welcome Center at Love Park.

This year, Drexel University will host an exhibit of students’ works at the James E. Marks Intercultural Center, located at 3141 Chestnut St., along with a special “Meet the Artists” event on April 18. The exhibit will be open from April 5 to June 4 at the James E. Marks Intercultural Center.