Few Ledyard High School students were in the building Jan. 27 because of finals, but Emma Pons and Amanda King were hard at work crafting pins for the first induction ceremony of the Ledyard chapter of the National Arts Honor Society.

The pins, tiny paint palettes made of clay, were made for the 25 sophomores, juniors and seniors for the ceremony on Jan. 30. Art teacher Marin Marciano, who serves as one of the advisers for the group, said the school she taught at in North Carolina had an NAHS chapter, and she felt it would be good to bring a chapter to Ledyard.

“Not all the students were able to meet each other based on what classes they were taking, so NAHS was a way for all the art kids to get together and do community-based art,” she said.

NAHS chapters share their talents and passion for the arts through community outreach programs. Currently, the chapter is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors, but the chapter also has three freshmen interns who will join the group next year.

Fellow adviser and art teacher Kate Flanagan said the group is already very active: students started applying to be part of NAHS in the fall as the certification was being finalized, and they meet every week after school to discuss their projects. Before the chapter was official, members created a coloring book to raise funds for the group, which they hope to make an annual affair. Other projects include holiday cards for the school and district, painted stools for the Agri-Science competitions and t-shirt designs for the Harlem Wizards fundraiser for Ledyard Education Advancement Foundation.

Pons, who did a lot of the initial research for the NAHS chapter, said the group was also asked to make posters for the wrestling team’s senior night and the Colonel Awards in the spring. She was most excited about expanding the coloring book fundraiser, which has grown from a half-page book to an 8.5-by-11-inch book.

King said she was looking forward to making pet-themed artwork and magnets to sell at Arts Night in May to benefit the animal shelter in town.

“We are keeping some profits for obvious reasons so we can fund more community service opportunities, but in no way is it self-serving,” Marciano said. “It’s a way for students to truly spread the love of visual arts.”

a.hutchinson@theday.com