Hospital and School Art-Based Youth Wellness Promotion Programs

School Based Social Emotional Development Programs

The following images detail school and community-based social emotional development programs for youth developed by Brenda Cleary. Images are drawn from homeless family shelter, a Juvenile Detention Facility, Teen Pregnancy Program, Domestic Violence shelter, Migrant Farmworker and Group Foster Home among others to deliver high-quality drop-in arts enrichment and social emotional learning opportunities. Workshops focused on creating a sense of safety, coping skills and inspiration for a better future for vulnerable children in transition This portfolio features multiples projects but highlighted are the hybridized digital and acrylic mural elaborating the vision of students fighting back against gang violence in their neighborhoods by returning to school after dropping out at West Career Academy through a DPS captial improvement grant. Also featured are snapshots from curriculum designed and coordinated by Brenda Cleary which invited children on a journey to learn about the lives of Nobel Peace Prize winners from across the world and the values their lives embodied. Essentially children learned about values and how they can practice small meaningful acts of heroism by being of service and in living in ethical integrity. While learning about the lives of Nobel Laureates the children made large street theater puppets representing these figures and marched them down Main St. in Lafayette Colorado in a Peace Parade and festival. This project inaugurated the “Kindness Curriculum” which involved over 500 kids and various community mentors to use the arts help students cultivate greater awareness and understanding of their ability to positively impact the lives of others through kindness, being welcoming, developing empathy and most importantly being of service. Harnessing the vision and passion of a community elder, a young adult instructor and the energy of students resulted in many vibrant projects. A local area quilter mobilized local grandparents to support a former foster child to create quilts squares imparting messages of support and encouragement for children removed from their families by police. These quilts stay in police cars when needed. In light of waves of anti-immigrant racisms another classroom explored their immigrant history and creating a mural to tour the county. Younger students created welcome baskets and holiday cards for refugees and elders. An autism inclusive concert was organized supporting children to learn about neurodiversity. Local area girls helped co-design a gender justice curriculum in which Bratz dolls were adjusted to have normal body proportions and the racialization of beauty was critically examined at the girls’ request. Boys watched “The Mask You Live In” and critically examined their own socialization of masculinity. The entire community came together to examine the school projects and together work on wetlands rehabilitation for Global Youth Service Day. The curriculum concluded with an amazing community wide party featuring dancers, musicians and intergenerational art-for-social change activities.