America Ferrera unleashes her “ugly"

via mirror.co.uk

... in the name of art and education! Ugly Betty star America Ferrera hosted an auction in New York City earlier this week to help build a school in Mali as part of her work with the Save the Children organization.

America has been an education ambassador for Save the Children since 2008, and made a trip to Mali earlier in the year to jump start efforts to build a school. About 800,000 children in Mali, mostly girls, do not have the opportunity to attend school. Save the Children is dedicated to introducing lasting change in the live of children who suffer from poverty and other vulnerabilities.

So what’s “ugly” got to do with it? Original artwork featuring an image of America’s Betty Suarez character was among the pieces up for auction. All proceeds from the event went towards the school-building project, which America expressed her excitement for, saying “Every time a child learns, we all benefit.”

Love art and looking for a way to volunteer? Here’s how you can combine the two! And be sure to check out footage from America’s trip to Mali to learn more about her education initiatives (and support them on Facebook!).