Student Builds Creative Website for College Money

"It's a win-win-win situation. People get to show off their baby's cuteness, while I get to go to school and a piece of art is born!" - Skylar Windham

Skylar Windham and his new project

(SALEM, Ore.) - An Oregon college student from the coastal town of Brookings, says has he has found a unique way to save money for school, generate a unique piece of art, and show off more than 60 smiling babies.

Skylar Windham plans to attend Western Oregon University this fall. He started thesmileposter.org because traditional income sources are not available to people as they were in the past.

"I'm trying to save money for tuition, as higher education is expensive these days, but it has been very difficult to find a job in my small town. I haven't given up the search, but in the meantime I figured I give this idea a try."

He says the idea is pretty simple, but he believes it worked out well. His art-based college fundraising effort has already attracted local attention through a story in a southern Oregon newspaper, "The Curry Coastal Pilot".

The Website Skylar designed, shows a scaled-down version of the poster. It's made up of 63 squares.

"In the squares will be 63 different, smiling baby faces. The squares are being sold for 10 dollars each. A square represents the space where a smiling baby will be displayed. When all the squares are filled, I will then publish The Smile Poster as an actual, 11x14 inch printed poster."

Who can resist a smiling baby? It may be simple, but many people would agree that this is the type of simplicity that we are lacking in this day and age. Skylar says it was an opportunity to create something different.

"I like art, particularly black & white portraits, and what's cuter than a smiling baby? That's what spawned this idea I guess. I think if people look at this poster when it's completed, they won't be able to help but smile themselves."

Skylar says he did not personally know 63 babies, and that is why he decided to go public.

"It's a win-win-win situation. People get to show off their baby's cuteness, while I get to go to school and a piece of art is born!"

If you would like to know more, or simply add your smiling baby's face to this worthwhile effort, drop Skylar a line at eltehelado@gmail.com and make arrangements to be part of this unique effort.