In honor of the 1.5 million children who lost their lives in the Holocaust, Gardens Elementary School students in the CASE after-school program are making 40 handmade butterflies for the Holocaust Museum Houston Butterfly Project.

The museum is collecting 1.5 million handmade butterflies from local schools and organizations to create an exhibit in remembrance of the Holocaust children.

“The Butterfly Project jumped out at me as a worthy project for my students in the after-school program,” said Liliana Siles, the CASE site coordinator at Gardens. “The kids are moved and eager to begin this project because they feel as though they are giving a gift in the memory of those less fortunate.”

Students in grades kindergarten through first are making the butterflies and Siles said she explained to the students the impact World War II and the Holocaust had on innocent people’s lives.

“We want the students to understand that this project is in remembrance of children who were denied their childhood, their freedom and their lives—all for their beliefs,” Siles said. “We want them to know that it’s not only adults who perish in a war, and that the possibility of achieving and living a fruitful life is not always given to all children.”

Fourth grade student Maria Perez said, “Making the butterflies shows our spirit of how those children were treated and how we all can learn to treat others with respect.”

Siles said the project serves not only as an educational experience for the students, but also teaches them how to give back to their community.

“The students are learning responsibility and how to respect each other’s beliefs and differences,” said Siles. “They are learning how to think of building a better future for themselves and others, and that we can learn from the past to make the world a better place. In order to educate young people regarding issues of social justice and respect for life, we have to introduce them to our world’s history so we can learn from the mistakes we have made.”