The Butterfly Project
The Butterfly Project
The Butterfly Project is a global initiative aimed at combating hatred and bigotry by educating people about the Holocaust through education, art, and memorial-making. Suitable for school settings and community groups, the program was started in 2006 in San Diego, California, by educator Jan Landau and artist Cheryl Rattner Price, as a gentle yet effective way to teach children about the Holocaust and to remember the 1.5 million Jewish children who were murdered.
The program is built around ceramic butterflies that participants paint while learning about a child who was murdered during the Holocaust. These butterflies are then glazed and installed in permanent displays to serve as reminders of courage, justice, remembrance, and hope. The idea was inspired by the poem "The Butterfly," written by Pavel Friedmann, a young prisoner at the Terezín concentration camp.
In 2023, the Virginia Holocaust Museum joined the initiative, becoming one of more than 200 organizations worldwide participating in this meaningful project.
Steps to Get Started
The Butterfly Project is ideal for 6th–12th grade students. After learning about the Holocaust, students can paint a butterfly in memory of a child murdered during the Holocaust. Once the project is completed, finished butterflies may be used for an installation within your school or community.
Butterfly Project kits will be available at no cost to classrooms across the Commonwealth of Virginia during the 2026–2027 school year. The application to participate will be available soon.
Kit quantities are limited this year. Priority will be given to Title I schools and to areas that have been underserved by the program in the past. Because supply is limited, we encourage educators to reserve their kits as early as possible. Please order your kits no later than November 1, 2026. Most classroom orders range from 36–100 butterflies; if you're requesting more than that, please briefly note why on your request form.
Because of limited funding, we can only consider requests from within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Schools outside of Virginia are encouraged to visit the Butterfly Project website and apply for a subsidy at https://thebutterflyprojectnow.org/subsidy-application/.
Step 1
Reserve your butterflies by clicking the button below and filling out the order form. Once approved, you will be emailed a shipment form.
Kits include ceramic butterflies, paint brushes, glaze, and biography cards that tell the individual story of a child who was killed during the Holocaust.
Step 2
Once you have submitted the shipment form, please allow up to three weeks for your butterflies to be shipped to you.
Step 3
While you are waiting for your butterflies to arrive, we ask that you use the Museum's lesson plan to help support and contextualize your study of the Holocaust. Here are some additional classroom resources:
This is a great opportunity for cross-curricular instruction with social studies, language arts and art.
Step 4
When your butterflies arrive, each student should paint one ceramic butterfly using the glaze provided. Along with the butterfly, each student should also receive one individual biography card — students will paint their butterfly in memory of the child. Please give students enough time to read their biography card; they should be reading, reflecting, and connecting. We also recommend that prior to painting, students say aloud (one by one) the name of the child they are painting the butterfly for.
Paint your butterfly! Please only paint the front and sides of the butterfly. Do not paint the back. Do not use any other materials aside from the glaze provided.
Step 5
Once the butterflies have been glazed and are dry to the touch, they are ready to be kiln-fired. You must fire the butterflies in a kiln at a low-fire temperature of Cone 04, 05, or 06.
If your school does not have a kiln available, please reach out to a neighboring school, ceramics center, or try this resource to locate a kiln near you: https://www.kilnshare.com/.
Step 6
After the butterflies are kiln-fired, they are complete and ready to be installed. Create a temporary or permanent installation serving as a memorial to the 1.5 million children murdered during the Holocaust.
For tips on how to create your installation, please visit https://thebutterflyprojectnow.org/installations/.
Step 7
Once your installation is complete, please send us photographs! Email your photos to kadams@vaholocaust.org.
You can post your installation photos to social media using the hashtag #thebutterflyprojectnow and tag @thebutterflyprojectnow and @vaholocaust.
If you have any questions, please contact our Director of Marketing and Communications, Laurie Simpson Crouch, at lsimpsoncrouch@vaholocaust.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is availability limited this year?
Due to a reduction in state funding, we are only able to supply kits to schools within the Commonwealth of Virginia this year, and we are not able to supply kits to every classroom that requests one. Priority will be given to Title I schools and to areas that have been underserved by the program in the past. We encourage you to reserve early, as kits will be distributed based on these priorities while supplies last.
Can schools outside of Virginia participate?
Not through the Virginia Holocaust Museum this year, due to limited funding. Schools outside of Virginia are encouraged to visit the Butterfly Project website and apply for a subsidy at https://thebutterflyprojectnow.org/subsidy-application/.
What are the butterflies made of?
Our butterflies are made of low-fire white clay and have received their first bisque firing.
What kinds of glazes are provided?
We supply low-fire underglazes that kiln-fire to a satin sheen.
Should we paint all sides of the butterfly?
No. The backside of the butterflies should remain free of all glaze, or the butterflies will fuse to the kiln shelf during firing.
Can we add details to the butterflies with paint or markers?
No. Only paint the butterflies with the glaze provided in your kit. Any other paint or markers will burn away in the kiln.
Should we write our names on the backs of butterflies?
No. Although we understand the desire participants have to identify their butterflies, any writing or painting on the backs will burn off in the kiln firing and/or damage the kiln shelf.
Will the glaze stain our clothing and our hands?
No. The glaze provided will easily wash off.
Henri Maizels Butterfly Garden
On April 3, 2025, the Museum dedicated the Henri Maizels Butterfly Garden, honoring Holocaust survivor Henri Isadore Maizels (1939–2023). Family members joined Great Bridge High School art students to install the first 300 hand-painted butterflies on the vibrant mural and surrounding glass cases in the lobby, creating a living memorial.
The Henri Maizels Butterfly Garden was made possible through the generosity of Doris Chance, Morris Willner, Max Maizels, Sherri Thaxton, Judith Levine-Maizels, Danielle Maizels, Nathan Maizels, and Neena Maizels. It embodies the mission of <a href="/butterfly-project">The Butterfly Project</a>: to inspire hope, foster remembrance, and let the stories of children lost to hatred take flight for generations to come.
Born in Paris on December 4, 1939, Henri Isadore Maizels endured profound loss early in life, losing both of his parents by the age of three. He was safeguarded first by a Catholic family and later by a Catholic orphanage, surviving the war while his Jewish identity remained protected.
In 1947, Henri was reunited with relatives in the United States and began a new chapter in Richmond, Virginia. He went on to excel as an international hairstylist and a gifted musician.
Known for his warmth and kindness, Henri transformed adversity into inspiration, leaving behind a legacy of resilience, artistry, and love.
You can hear Henri's full oral history, recorded on February 2, 2004, here.
Henri Isadore Maizels
1939–2023