The Savannah College of Art and Design Buzz Bus is back and bringing tens of thousands of new and gently used art supplies to local students. This annual event, hosted by SCAD SERVE, is set for 10 a.m. June 29 at the Student Center located at 128 Montgomery St. Donations will benefit Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools System art programs.

To ensure compliance with the CDC’s updated COVID-19 guidelines, teachers will be invited to SCAD throughout the summer to collect their donations just before the start of the school year. Boxes will be packed, organized and labeled for each school so pickup is convenient.

Founded in 2010, the SCAD Buzz Bus has made high-quality arts education possible for students across the county. Director of SCAD SERVE, Scott Linzey, said, “SCAD SERVE empowers the SCAD community to listen to the needs of its neighbors and local leaders, and to create meaningful design solutions that improve quality of life.”

All SCCPSS schools will receive art supplies based on each school’s needs and available art programs, and local administration and teachers are thankful for every donation.

Ann Levett, Superintendent of Schools, said, “Having access to these materials gives our teachers the opportunity to expose an even greater number of students to enriching arts education experiences. Our arts educators can continue to support budding artists at all stages of their development as they explore the world through artistic expression. We are extremely grateful to SCAD for this generous donation.”

To ensure donations are in the best condition, SCAD students, faculty, staff, and alumni have spent over 100 volunteer hours sorting and organizing supplies. Donations include paper, pencils, paint, brushes, notebooks, pens, textbooks, rulers, charcoal, binders, glue, tape, fabric, tools, and more with the goal of encouraging creativity while enriching the classroom experience.

“As an art educator, I have the opportunity to work with students of all abilities over a common goal of creativity and self-expression. As an elementary educator, I am the first stop in their artistic careers and love creating that initial spark of curiosity,” Windsor Forest Elementary School art teacher Charlotte Suozzo said.

The SCAD Buzz Bus also makes frequent surprise visits throughout the school year to local K-12 schools and organizations. These visits offer one-on-one student workshops, book readings, musical performances and additional art supply donations.

For information about SCAD SERVE, visit scad.galaxydigital.com. To learn about Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, visit sccpss.com.

This article appears in 06-30-2021.