Two classrooms on opposite sides of the world happened to be working on a very similar project at the same time. In both Shanghai, China, and Palm Springs, California, students were learning how to turn their flashlights and other light-emitting objects into paintbrushes. Light painting is a form of long-exposure photography in which the shutter of the camera remains open while the artist draws in midair or onto any surface with a flashlight or other light in a darkened area. In this article, the author describes Paint the World with Light, a collaborative project wherein schools from around the world were invited to participate. The challenge offered was for students to create a light painting that revealed something hidden about their communities. The definitions were left deliberately vague so that teachers could adapt the lesson to better meet their specific needs and create a wider diversity of responses. (Contains 3 online resources.)