Before the pandemic shuttered schools, Wilkinson Elementary Schoolâs main hallway served several functions at once. It was part art gallery, part communal gathering space where students and teachers would gather before classes began. In the mornings, the entire school would discuss the art, current events, announcements and birthdays.Â
âWe completely lost that as soon as we went online,â said Andrea Caturegli, the schoolâs fine arts teacher. âWe tried in March to have that connection again, but it was really challenging.â
As students gathered on computers at home, Caturegli wanted to replicate that sense of community that focused on art and a sense of inclusion for the kids. By the start of the next school year, she had built just that, a digital gallery called Studio Woo that highlighted student art for the school community to see.