South Boston Youth Create Community Art
In South Boston, Massachusetts, young people have opportunities to express themselves through the arts and engage in service to others. The Institute for a Healthier Community is a local organization that responded to teens in the community who voiced a need for art programs to support creative expression.
In 2005, the Institute partnered with South Boston Arts Association and began a street arts project at the suggestion of Dan McCole, a local artist. For this project, known as the Lighthouse Project, youth were given large pieces of plywood to use as a canvas and paint as they wished. The plywood was shaped like a simple lighthouse, and when completed, the paintings were displayed on light posts throughout the community.
Girl Scouts Commission Developmental Asset Paintings
In St. Louis Park, Minnesota, four Girl Scouts engaged community members in a Developmental Asset painting project. Working toward their Silver Award, these young women, all students at St. Louis Park Junior High School, have collaborated with their Girl Scout advisor, Jeanne Tatarek, and their community advisor, Karen Atkinson of Children First, to commission 40 paintings, each representing one of the Developmental Assets. The paintings, completed by community members from all over St. Louis Park, have been displayed at events and photographed to be a part of a poster that is available for distribution.
Shout it Out: The Voices Project Movie
Not every teen out there goes through every experience the characters in the movie go through, but everyone has difficulties, especially during high school; they’re some of the hardest years of your life, and this movie shows that we’re listening, we’re trying to help.
-Jordan Mitchell Love, Film Actor, NPR interview with Neal Charnoff 06-27-08
Approached in 2002 by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont, Kingdom County Productions was asked to do a statewide project on the lives of Vermont teens. After researching for eight months, and hearing the stories of more than 1000 teenagers around Vermont, Bess O’Brien and Abby Paige used the themes and words they heard to write a script for an original musical, The Voices Project.
For Further Reading and Information
Empowering Youth: How to Encourage Young Leaders to Do Great Things
An Asset Builder’s Guide to Youth Leadership
Teaching Kids to Change the World: Lessons to Inspire Social Responsibility For Grades 6-12
