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

Miami-Dade County Public Schools students and teachers turned donated surplus materials into auction pieces that helped The Education Fund raise more than $100,000 at Jungle Island on May 18. The event also honored public school alumni and highlighted how private-sector donations are funding arts education and classroom supplies across the district.

Why it matters: - The Education Fund’s art auction converted donated supplies into funding for public school students and arts education in Miami-Dade County. - The event also put a spotlight on Miami-Dade public school graduates who have gone on to leadership roles in business, government and media. - The Education Fund says its supply warehouse has provided more than $32 million worth of 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. - The event raised more than $100,000 for public school students. - Ocean Bank presented the event. - Miami-Dade County Public Schools students’ and teachers’ artwork anchored the auction. - The Education Fund also presented its annual Alumni Achievement Awards. - The awards recognized graduates of Miami-Dade County Public Schools who are community and business leaders.

The details: - Auction items included luxury goods and one-of-a-kind pieces made by students and teachers. - Attendees had live music, an open bar, hands-on art activations and an epicurean feast. - The auction featured two categories: Art of Found Objects and Beyond the Page. - Art of Found Objects highlighted 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 grant brought paper-based art into Miami-Dade County Public Schools classrooms and expanded arts programming across the district. - Teachers loaded free supplies from The Education Fund Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials and used items such as fabrics, paint, glass tiles, cigar boxes and discarded furniture in classroom projects. - The finished works were displayed 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’s programs include Florida’s first free school-supply warehouse, Food Forests for Schools and a college-and-career initiative called SmartPath to Life. - The event was supported by 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. - For more information about The Education Fund and its programming, visit educationfund.org.

Between the lines: - The auction’s core appeal was not just fundraising; it showed how donated business supplies can become student-made art with market value. - The event also reinforced The Education Fund’s model of pairing private-sector contributions with classroom needs. - Speakers said the program gives students public recognition for their creativity and gives teachers access to materials they might not otherwise have. - Dr. Jose L. Dotres, superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, said the Art of Found Objects program shows what happens when the community invests in public school students. - Linda Lecht, president of The Education Fund, said the auction is the organization’s most visible example of private-sector support flowing back into classrooms.

What's next: - The Education Fund is expected to continue using donations and partnerships to support classroom supply access and arts programming. - The organization will also keep promoting its broader portfolio of school initiatives, including supply distribution, food forests and college-and-career readiness programs. - The annual Alumni Achievement Awards will likely remain part of the organization’s public-facing efforts to celebrate Miami-Dade graduates.

The bottom line: - Miami-Dade students turned free supplies into art, and that art turned into cash for classrooms.