International Child Art Foundation

Rai·son d'ê·tre

The founding of the International Child Art Foundation (ICAF) in April 1997 sparked a global movement to foster students’ creative and empathetic development through art and sports.

Creativity and empathy are the building blocks for a prosperous and peaceful future and are cornerstones of free enterprise and democracy. These critical human attributes are urgent now with the rise of AI and the risk of nuclear holocaust. Nelson Mandela famously stated, "Sport has the power to change the world… the power to inspire... the power to unite people in a way that little else does." In concert with art, sports can paint a whole new world.

ICAF’s intervention spotlights student identity development since it’s vital for their growth. Rather than categorizing themselves and others as artsy, athletic, nerdy, or tech-savvy, ICAF promotes the Artist-Athlete Ideal, which embodies a creative mind and a healthy body (mente sana in corpore sano). This holistic identity awakens their dormant “inner artist” or the slumbering “inner athlete,” helping them mitigate obesity risks and creativity slumps.

Research & Publications
ICAF’s seminal research has been published in several leading journals, including The Lancet and Dynamische Psychiatrie. Since 1998, ICAF has published the ad-free quarterly, the ChildArt magazine. Please preview the AI & Art magazine and the Human Security magazine.

The Arts Olympiad
ICAF’s Arts Olympiad has evolved over the years into the world’s largest school art program. Its structured lesson plans culminate in art contests on the theme "My Favorite Sport." ICAF selects the most exceptional artworks and invites the young Artists-Athletes as delegates to the World Children’s Festival. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has granted ICAF an exclusive license to utilize the "Arts Olympiad" mark.

The 7th Arts Olympiad, currently taking place in nearly fifty countries, is projected to benefit more than half a million students worldwide. For more information about the program in select countries, please click here.

World Children’s Festival
The World Children’s Festival (WCF) offers a transformative experience, infusing creativity with empathy to give them hope. While learning is a biological process that creates new neural connections, developing empathy necessitates unlearning ingrained biases and prejudices to activate the “mirror neurons” that underpin empathetic responses. As empathy flourishes, divisions diminish, polarization lessens, consensus emerges, nations come together, and the world becomes more peaceful. The educational programming for this three-day public celebration of children's talents is rooted in STEAMS education, an innovative approach developed by ICAF that integrates Arts and Sports into the STEM disciplines. For an overview of the WCF, please click here.

The 7th World Children’s Festival, held at the National Mall from June 30 to July 2, 2026, will also serve as a historic celebration of America's 250th birthday, seen through the eyes of children. We anticipate that total attendance at the WCF, free and open to the public, will surpass 30,000.

Other Art Programs
ICAF occasionally organizes Peace through Art Programs to restore the trust in humanity of children in conflict zones and Healing Art Programs to revive faith in nature of child victims of natural disasters. ICAF also pays attention to climate change because of its impact on children’s lives.

Sport Art Exhibitions
As the largest children’s art organization, ICAF curates exhibitions worldwide to bring its unprecedented collection to significant venues and museums. ICAF exhibitions embolden children and kindle the inner child in professionals. Please watch this 3:22-minute clip.

Art & Sports Online Contests
To engage children worldwide in the Paris 2024 Olympics, ICAF launched an online art contest for students aged 8 to 20. This inclusive platform allows participants to create artwork about their favorite sport, share it with family and friends, and receive votes from any sports fan or art lover, contributing to the selection of the winners.

Partnerships
ICAF has worked with the United Nations, the National Institutes of Health, the International Society for Education through Art, the World Bank, and the World Health Organization. ICAF’s sponsors have included Adidas, Disney, LEGO, Four Seasons, Qatar Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. ICAF is ranked among the 25 Top Children’s Charities in the United States.