Initiatives
Design for Good
SCAD SERVE empowers SCAD students, faculty, and staff to make meaningful contributions through intentional initiatives that improve quality of life for our communities. Design for Good courses are one such example. The 10-week courses are collaborations between SCAD SERVE and selected nonprofit organizations who have a particular challenge that they cannot effectively solve themselves, likely requiring creative exploration and innovative design thinking. A strategically chosen SCAD faculty member leads the students enrolled in the class as if they are a project team of junior design consultants, thereby driving resolution for the nonprofit organization and providing invaluable real-world experience for the students.
American Red Cross (Spring 2025)
Every eight minutes the American Red Cross responds to an emergency. From single house fires to multi-state natural disasters, the American Red Cross goes wherever its needed. SCAD SERVE created customized design solutions to improve the efficiency and impact of disaster relief services at the community level.
Savannah-Chatham County Public School System's Board of Education Police Department (Spring 2025)
The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) is the 10th largest school district in the state of Georgia. Entrusted with the safety and security of the entire public school system, the Board of Education Police Department (BOEPD) oversees 38,000 students. Through design thinking, SCAD students created a refreshed brand identity that fosters trust, inclusivity, and a positive connection between children, families, and the school district.
United States Tennis Association (Winter and Spring 2025)
The United States Tennis Association prints and hangs huge promotional banners at each of its tournaments and events. After two or three weeks of use, these banners are taken down and discarded. They asked SCAD SERVE for creative designs to utilize repurposed banners.
Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (Winter 2025)
The world's most popular sporting event comes to Atlanta in 2026. The most recent World Cup had 1.5 billion viewers and generated 93.6 million social media posts. ADID asked SCAD SERVE to reimagine and design a new information kiosk to be placed in the heart of Atlanta's hotel and tourism district.
Goodwill of Southeast Georgia (Winter 2025)
Beyoncé, Angelina Jolie, and Shawn Mendes have collaborated with Goodwill to support its mission to transform lives. Goodwill’s mission is supported by donations of clothing and household items received at its Attended Donation Centers (ADC). Goodwill asked SCAD SERVE to design a next-gen ADC to elevate the employee and donor experience.
Boys & Girls Club (Fall 2024)
As the oldest Boy's and Girl's Club in Georgia and one of first three all-Black clubs in the U.S., the Frank Callen Boy's & Girl's Club serves more than 1,000 members at their facility in downtown Savannah. In Fall 2024, a SCAD SERVE Design for Good architecture course redesigned their entire facility, making recommendations for the addition of a third floor and increased exterior spaces, thereby creating environments where their members could engage more deeply and receive services more effectively.
Georgia Forestry Commission (Fall 2024)
SCAD SERVE collaborated with the Georgia Forestry Commission to celebrate Georgia Arbor Day. Students created original artwork commemorating trees for Georgia's living governors. Each of those live tree species are planted in the Georgia Forestry Commission's Governors' Grove.
Buzz Bus
Inaugurated by SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace in 2010, the SCAD Buzz Bus makes frequent surprise visits to local K–12 schools and organizations to offer one-on-one student workshops, book readings, musical performances, and art-supply donations.
I teach at a Title I school and my talented students lack exposure and funds. The experience that SCAD offered us was amazing! Their expertise brought visual, musical, and audio arts to my babies who would have never had that opportunity. To top that, my students are now interested in college! Thank you, SCAD, for finding us!”
— Patricia MacNintch | Art teacher, Conley Hills Elementary
Having the Buzz Bus at The Garden was an exciting moment in our journey as we work to increase engagement, foster creativity, and promote critical thinking and collaboration amongst our young scholars. Having a community partner such as SCAD promote academic excellence through the arts encourages us to continue along this journey to transform our school community into a vibrant and creative place. We are extremely grateful to SCAD for the amazing performance and for the art supplies which supports our school’s art program.”
— Kimberly Dozier, former principal, Garden City Elementary
Supply Giveaway for Art Teachers
Each summer SCAD donates tens of thousands of art supplies to the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System as part of the university’s annual Buzz Bus initiative. The new and gently used art supplies — such as paint, brushes, fabric, charcoal, sketch paper, and tools — are collected by SCAD students, faculty, and staff at the end of the academic year to help support local art educators. Every teacher receives a large box of supplies and can also choose from an immeasurable amount of other donated materials to inspire the next generation of artists and designers.
Back40
Since opening in 2019, SCAD’s Back40 organic farm and apiary has donated more than 10 tons of fruit, vegetables, herbs, and honey to America’s Second Harvest of the Coastal Empire. SCAD is the organization’s largest supplier of fresh produce, helping ease food insecurity for neighbors in need with weekly donations. SCAD also makes regular donations to Park Place Outreach Youth Emergency Shelter in Savannah.
The Lorlee Workforce Housing
SCAD students, alumni, and faculty from the School of Building Arts contributed to a SCAD SERVE assignment converting the historic building formerly known as Pulaski House, a three-story residence hall on Barnard Street, into 22 workforce housing units. Renovations began in the spring of 2021 and were completed in late 2022. In 2023, the building was renamed The Lorlee in honor of Lorlee Tenenbaum, a pillar of the Savannah community remembered for her zest for life, her giving spirit, and her deep appreciation for art, education, and culture.
Workforce housing units are defined as housing that is affordable for a household income between 60% and 120% of Area Median Income. Securing workforce housing is a major priority for the city, including Mayor Van Johnson’s Housing Savannah Task Force. In Savannah, housing costs have outpaced incomes at a rate of two-to-one over the past 30 years.
I am elated to learn of this project which strongly aligns with the goals of the City Council and our Housing Savannah Task Force that there will be affordable housing for Savannahians. I am grateful to President Wallace and the SCAD family for this great contribution to our workforce housing inventory and for being a good neighbor.”
— Van Johnson, Mayor of Savannah
Paint Our Parks
The Paint Our Parks public art initiative invites our neighbors and friends in SCAD’s hometowns of Savannah and Atlanta, Ga., to enjoy the work of accomplished SCAD artists. Since its launch in 2021, Paint Our Parks has beautified and enlivened 16 basketball courts and play spaces at city parks, schools, and community youth centers with vibrant murals by SCAD alumni.
Atlanta
- Arthur Langford Jr. Park: Emily Eldridge (B.F.A., illustration, 2024)
- Mozley Park: Carla Contreras (M.F.A., painting, 2019)
- Adair Park I: Alex Waggoner (B.F.A., painting, 2012)
- Adair Park II: Joseph Veazey (B.F.A., graphic design, 2009); Dohyun “Odni” Lim (B.F.A., animation, 2019)
- Sara J. González Memorial Park: José Ray (B.F.A., painting, 2011)
- Howell Park: Drew Borders (B.F.A., animation, 2020)
- Thomasville Heights Recreation Center: Alexandria Hall (B.F.A., illustration, 2019)
- Stone Hogan Park: Nina Robinson (B.F.A., animation, 2019)
- Usher-Collier Elementary School: Alexandria Hall (B.F.A, illustration, 2019)
Savannah
- Coastal Middle School: Peach Tao (B.F.A., illustration and printmaking, 2010)
- Greenbriar Children’s Center: Chris Nickels (B.F.A., illustration, 2012)
- Hodge Elementary School: Joe Dreher (B.A., architecture, 1993)
- Savannah Jewish Educational Alliance: Melyssa Amann (B.F.A., illustration, 2020)
- W. W. Law Community Center: Anthony “Mojo” Reed II (B.F.A., sequential art, 2015)
- Southwest Middle School: Cherry Chandra (M.A., illustration, 2021)
- Heard Elementary: Juliana Lupacchino (B.F.A., fibers, 2017)
The places where we lounge, laugh, and play. The spaces where we stroll, reflect, and reinvigorate. Our parks are where we find our best selves — and SCAD SERVE's Paint Our Parks public art initiative invites our neighbors and friends to enjoy the work of accomplished SCAD artists who realize shared visions of positivity, wellness, and joy, and uplift neighborhoods from Atlanta to Savannah.”
— Paula Wallace, SCAD President and Founder
SCAD has given our students and our community the most amazing gift — a gift that combines art, joy, and play. The SCAD SERVE Paint Our Parks team transformed what was an eyesore of an outdoor space into a work of art. Our students, families, and community will enjoy this amazing spot for years to come. Thank you, SCAD!”
— Allison Schuster-Jones, former principal of Coastal Middle School
Providing a space for the community to thrive, grow, and experience joy is the best aspect of being a muralist. From the design creation process, working with the amazingly talented volunteers, to witnessing the finished courts come to life — it has been such a blessing and an honor to work on this project with everyone involved at SCAD SERVE.”
— Alexandria Hall (B.F.A., illustration, 2019), SCAD SERVE Alumni Ambassador
Union Mission
Since its founding in 1937, Union Mission has grown from a small soup kitchen to a multifaceted organization serving the homeless population of the greater Savannah area. A unique SCAD SERVE collaboration with Union Mission in 2022 amplified and beautified the organization’s new Mental Health Counseling Center and Parker’s House: A Home for Women. SCAD alum Robin Maaya (B.F.A., photography, 2021) photographed Union Mission clients, portraying the stories and lives of these Savannahians and others served by Union Mission in a collection of 28 black-and-white images titled Mission of Mercy. Enlivening the walls of Union Mission’s spaces, the photographs convey a message of hope and authenticity.
Holiday gift drive
Each year since 1994, SCAD students, faculty, and staff donate hundreds of gifts — from clothing and toys to books, electronics, bikes, and more — to Union Mission to create joyful holiday moments for local children and their families. To boost the festive spirit, SCAD elves transform one of Union Mission’s rooms into a holiday wonderland with garland, Christmas trees, and other seasonal scenes.
SCAD has provided a bright and beautiful holiday experience for the most vulnerable in our community. I know our clients are incredibly grateful for the compassion, hope, and cheer brought during this time of giving. We are honored by the tremendous dedication, expertise, and care of the SCAD team.”
— Michael Traynor, Union Mission president and CEO