The Educational Sketchbook Program^® Story

Once upon a time...

...in a land called Montana in the U.S.A. there was a school with many teachers. There were Science teachers, Math teachers, English teachers and an Art teacher. The Science, Math and English teachers all had beautiful text books, but not the Art teacher. There was no money left in the budget for her classroom sketch text books. She thought, “I will buy sketchbooks myself”, but on her meager salary she couldn't afford quality sketchbooks for every student. She was very creative and thought, “I will have my students make their own sketchbooks in the classroom”, but this took too much precious class time. So she thought, “I will have my students buy their own sketchbooks”! But because of the disparity it was very difficult to teach her discipline from the vast collection of sketchbooks. Also, the sketchbooks the students purchased were imported from other countries at a time when her country needed the work.

Despaired by her dilemma, she was driving one day and came across a bindery. She thought, “I will see how much it would be to make our text books at the bindery.” She told the owner of the bindery her dilemma, and to her delight the owner of the bindery was a Fine Arts Major in college. He loved art and understood completely her dilemma! He too understood the importance of sketching and the discipline the arts bring to education.

The artist and bindery owner worked with the Art teacher to create the finest sketchbooks on a very limited budget. The sketchbooks are “green” and made with the finest paper from the Sustainable Forest Initiative. The binding is made from recycled material, the front cover is reinforced for durability, and the back cover is rigid just like a professional artist sketchbook! The Art teacher was so excited about her classroom sketchbooks. They were able to produce these books affordable for all students and once again have their very own classroom sketchbook text books. She told other Art teachers and soon there were classroom sketchbook text books for every level of Art classes. There is paper “hot” pressed for a smooth finish, “cold” pressed for “tooth”. Art teachers had paper for dry media, oil pastels, chalk, and more! And even better all of the paper and other raw material to make her classroom sketchbook text books were made right here in her own country!

She told other teachers about her classroom sketchbooks, and they told other teachers; and soon her sketchbooks were being introduced to every school and Museum in America. Once again Art teachers everywhere have their very own Classroom Sketchbook Text Book at an affordable price, environmentally responsible, quality constructed, customizable. Black paper could be added to a sketchbook, and there were different sizes and page counts. Museums like the custom printed front covers. It was a dream come true.

And so they all taught happily ever after! And that is just The Beginning…