The Youth Project Animation club, headed by seniors Amanda Zhao and Olivia Zhao, was recently awarded an honorable mention for their participation in the White House Student Film Festival.

The festival, currently in its second year, received over 1,500 student created entries on this year’s theme: the impact of giving back.

The three-minute film focused on the importance of art education in public schools and introduced the Youth Project’s first animation, an instructional video on the Impressionist art movement. The original animation took three years to complete, from concept creation to storyboarding to voice acting, and was completed last fall.

According to the film, the goal of the project was to “bring non-profit art education to the community through the use of animation.”

Senior Juliana Furgala, voice actor for the character Claire, explained why the club chose to focus on art education as their way of giving back.

“I find it very unfortunate that art education is the first to be cut when funding runs out,” she said. “Art programs are not seen as an essential part of education but it inspires, teaches creative interpretation, and allows you to see the world in new ways.”

Olivia Zhao echoed these sentiments.

“Art education is truly captivating,” Zhao said. “Through the first strokes of a brush or the first steps of a dance one is introduced to a whole new spectrum that inspires and challenges.”

The film was presented at the Fine Arts Assembly on March 13 and has also been featured at other schools and at educational programs.