Lower School Students Raise Money for Monumental Women

Last week, students in the Mott Room held a fundraiser to support Monumental Women, a non-profit organization committed to erecting the first statue of a woman in Central Park. The students first learned that there were no female statues in the park during a Current Events lesson, when they read a news article about Girl Scout Troop 3484, made up of 10 girls attending The Dalton School. The troop has been gathering funds for a monument to suffragettes Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. Mott Room students were upset when they realized that there were 23 statues of men in Central Park, and the only statues of women were two fictional characters: Alice in Wonderland and Mother Goose. The class resolved to contribute to the cause. While they agreed a bake sale would raise money, they also wanted to raise awareness of historical women worthy of statues. In order to do both, students sold baked goods for one dollar, as well as mini-statues of great women in history for two dollars. The statues were made by the students and included figurines of Jane Goodall, Marie Curie, Maya Angelou, and Frida Kahlo, among others. Some students chose to make statues of women they had studied in class (Helen Keller, Oprah Winfrey) while others chose women they looked up to (Serena Williams). The statue and bake sale was a huge hit, raising almost $300 for Monumental Women. Thanks to everyone who supported this project!