Instilling Confidence, Joy, and Resilience Through Art
Help me give my students acrylic paints, aprons, table top easels, and brushes to build resiliency through painting and enhance the artistic, creative and expressive qualities of all students.
The students in my class are a diverse group of kindhearted, bright, and talkative learners. They are thoughtful and curious; accepting of others, and always willing to help one another. We have created a solid sense of community together. As a class we are working on developing resiliency to give students the ability to push through and purposefully consider extended academic questions and problems.
My Project
Engaging in creative activities has been found to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Art can heal emotional injuries, increase understanding of oneself and others, help develop a capacity for self-reflection, and alter negative thinking patterns. At this time, our school does not have an art program beyond what the teachers integrate into core subjects. The paints and supplies I am asking for through this project are vital to enable students to express the emotions and the experiences that are so difficult to put into words, such as the impact of the social isolation has had on them caused by the pandemic.
This project has the ability to enhance the moods and emotions of my students, as well as having many other direct, and meaningful effects such as preparing students to be open and ready for learning.
These paints and supplies will help my students integrate their feelings and experiences of the pandemic into their life story. This kind of artistic self-expression contributes to the construction of a positive identity and has the ability to calm emotional trauma. By having these materials available, students will have time and space to make connections with each other, their experiences, and their learning. During the pandemic, my students have spent most of their academic time interacting with digital devices for their academic learning. The pandemic has robbed them of many hands-on experiences they would have experienced during in-person school with shared materials. They also have had little choice or control of how or when learning would happen. These supplies would give them an additional way to work through, and synthesize their experiences of the pandemic.
More than a third of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Williams and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.