Miami-Dade student art auction raises more than $100,000 for public schools

Miami-Dade County Public Schools students and teachers turned donated surplus materials into auction artwork 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 backed arts education and classroom materials, while also honoring public school alumni and community leaders.

Why it matters: - The auction turned donated supplies into classroom-to-gallery artwork and sent the proceeds back to Miami-Dade County public schools. - The event raised more than $100,000 for public school students. - The money supports arts education and The Education Fund Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials, which has provided more than $32 million in materials to public school classrooms since it opened.

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 the centerpiece of the auction. - The program also included the Education Fund’s annual Alumni Achievement Awards for graduates of Miami-Dade County Public Schools who have become community and business leaders. - Attendees had live music, an open bar, hands-on art activities and an epicurean feast. - Bidders competed for luxury items and one-of-a-kind pieces made by public school students and teachers.

The details: - This year’s auction had two categories: Art of Found Objects and Beyond the Page. - Art of Found Objects featured works built from donated surplus materials. - Beyond the Page was a new paper art category funded by a grant from the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation. - The paper art program brought paper into Miami-Dade County Public Schools classrooms as a creative medium and expanded arts programming across the district. - Teachers picked up free supplies at The Education Fund Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials, including fabrics, paint, glass tiles, cigar boxes and discarded furniture. - Teachers and students then turned those materials into the artwork shown at Jungle Island. - Since the 1984–85 school year, The Education Fund has raised $99 million for Miami-Dade County Public Schools students. - The Education Fund said its programs also include Florida’s first free school-supply warehouse, Food Forests for Schools and a college-and-career initiative called SmartPath to Life. - Speakers and presenters included Alan Alvarez, Mari Tere Rojas, Roberto Alonso, Dr. Michael Lewis, Jeanelle Boscan, Angelica Santibanez, Laura Tauber, Rolando Aedo and Norma Jean Abraham. - 2026 Public School Alumni Achievement Award honorees included Hector E. Aguililla, Dr. Dawn M. Baglos, Farah Bridges, Ana Marie Cain, David J. Clark, Dr. Carmen Concepcion, Curtis J. Crider, Karen Shosfy, Lawrence Kaplan, Yara Klukas, Alex Mena, Grant Miller, Yolanda Nader, Ken O’Keefe, Emma Pacetti, Jose Sirven and Randall Vitale. - Additional major support came from the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation, Amazon, The Kirk Foundation, Peacock Foundation, Inc., Knight Foundation, Ken O’Keefe and Jason Stephens, South Florida Business Journal and Miami Herald. - The Education Fund’s website is More information.

Between the lines: - The event showed how private-sector donations can directly fuel public-school creativity and classroom access. - The auction format gave community members a visible way to connect with student work and the resources behind it. - Ocean Bank’s long-running support gave the event a sponsorship model built around sustained, rather than one-time, investment. - Art teacher Raydeivis Soguero said the public celebration validates student work in a way that matters to students. - Ocean Bank’s Jeanelle Boscan said the artwork is a reminder of why the effort matters and that the goal is to help every teacher and student get what they need to succeed. - Amazon’s Angelica Santibanez said the student artwork is especially impressive when people realize it was created by a Miami-Dade County Public Schools 10th grader.

What's next: - The Education Fund said proceeds will continue going back into classrooms. - The organization will keep advancing its nonprofit programming for Miami-Dade County public schools. - The annual alumni awards and art auction remain a platform for recognizing graduates and funding student resources.

The bottom line: - Miami-Dade students turned donated materials into art, and that art helped raise money for the public school system that produced it.