I’ve known Sue Silverstein for five years and knew she was a remarkable teacher, a warrior for good, and a savior for the refugee children. I admit I didn’t think she was also a brilliant innovator as an art teacher. She has turned our assumptions about young people and education upside down. They aren’t only on social media; they are powerfully drawn to innovation and self-expression.

And they cost nothing but shipping fees.

One of her many new art projects is her 3D Design and Sculpture class at Bishop Gibbons High School, which kicked off this week as her students returned to school. Using the many discarded tools and potpourri that Army Of Good member Dale Sperling drove several hours in his truck to bring to the school,  Sue assigned her students to create a “found object sculpture” that reflects the state of the world in their minds.

(You can send discarded objects of almost every kind  – jewelry, wood, lamps, old clothes, hats – to Sue: Sue Silverstein, Bishop Gibbons High School, Schenectady, New York, 12304. She will find a way to use them to spur art.)

“I  gave them shopping bags and planning sheets after showing them all the new tools and supplies,” Sue told me. “The tools from Dale make many things possible that they couldn’t do before! I can’t believe all the fantastic things people have sent, and I’ve been saving. I can’t wait to share their finished pieces.’

Sue has gone far beyond the box in creating a program that doesn’t ask for money but seeks the rich lode of discarded material that so many people throw away or stash in an attack or basement. Sue doesn’t dictate her content; she appeals to the creativity and imagination of her students, which have exploded in a burst of interest and creativity.

She doesn’t dictate art to her students or stuff lessons down their threats. She challenges and asks them, urging them to think and feel inside themselves. And they love it. Their response has been overwhelming.  Her basement classroom is busy all day and often before and after scheduled classes.

These students are lining up for her art classes in an era when so many schools have eliminated art programs to save money. Sue advocates for the meaning and importance of art as a creative tool and a personal affirmation. Her kids love their classes and are flourishing in them. She has given the world a dazzling argument about how art can be taught.

With her innovative program – recycling found objects are an endless support of artistic ideas and tools – Sue has drawn people from all over the country into her schedule. She has delighted parents with the enthusiasm and self-esteem they see in their kids and has made a powerful statement about how art is taught in our schools. It isn’t just about the students’ creativity; it’s about the invention of schools and educators.

Sue also has a new group of refugee students she means to steer to college. Many of them have brothers and sisters she has taught. Her good goes on and on. Thanks for all of the breakfast snacks so many of you have sent to her at the school. As winter approaches, they will be very much appreciated.

Thanks, Dale, you are a good person and a warrior for good.