Miami-Dade students turn donated supplies into auction art that raises over $100,000

Miami-Dade County Public Schools students and teachers turned donated materials into auction pieces that helped raise more than $100,000 at The Education Fund’s For the Love of Art event at Jungle Island on May 18. The fundraiser spotlighted arts education, honored alumni, and highlighted how private-sector donations are flowing back into public school classrooms.

Why it matters: - The auction turned classroom surplus into funding for public school students and arts education. - The event raised more than $100,000 for Miami-Dade County public school students. - The proceeds support arts education and The Education Fund Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials, which has distributed more than $32 million in materials to public school classrooms since it began.

What happened: - The Education Fund held its For the Love of Art Charity Auction & Honoree Celebration on May 18, 2026, at Jungle Island in Miami. - Ocean Bank presented the event. - Miami-Dade County Public Schools students’ creations were featured in the auction. - The evening also included The Education Fund’s annual Alumni Achievement Awards, which recognized Miami public school graduates who became community and business leaders. - Attendees bid on luxury items and one-of-a-kind works created by public school students and teachers. - The event also included live music, an open bar, hands-on art activations, and an epicurean feast.

The details: - This year’s auction had two categories: Art of Found Objects and Beyond the Page. - Art of Found Objects featured works made from donated surplus materials. - Beyond the Page was a new paper art category supported by a grant from the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation. - The paper art initiative brought a new medium into Miami-Dade classrooms and expanded arts programming across the district. - Teachers loaded carts of free supplies at The Education Fund Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials before taking them back to their classrooms. - The materials included fabrics, paint, glass tiles, cigar boxes, and discarded furniture. - Students and teachers transformed those items into the art sold at the Jungle Island auction. - Since the 1984–85 school year, The Education Fund has raised $99 million for Miami-Dade County Public Schools students.

Between the lines: - The event showed how donated materials can become both classroom resources and public-facing art. - The auction also served as a fundraising model that ties community philanthropy directly to student creativity. - Linda Lecht, president of The Education Fund, said private-sector commitment is the starting point for every resource brought to Miami-Dade County Public Schools. - Jeanelle Boscan of Ocean Bank said the artwork is a reminder of why the support matters and called the bank’s role a long-term commitment. - Raydeivis Soguero, an art teacher at Booker T. Washington Senior High School, said community recognition validates student work. - Angelica Santibanez of Amazon said the student art was especially impressive when people learn it came from a Miami-Dade 10th grader.

What's next: - The Education Fund said its broader programming includes Florida’s first free school-supply warehouse, Food Forests for Schools, and a college-and-career initiative called SmartPath to Life. - The organization said For the Love of Art will keep channeling business donations into classroom supplies and student art. - Additional support for the event came from the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation, Amazon, The Kirk Foundation, Peacock Foundation, Knight Foundation, Ken O'Keefe and Jason Stephens, South Florida Business Journal, and Miami Herald. - More information is available at The Education Fund’s website.