Help me give my students two video projectors and painting supplies to create student-designed murals in our hallways and classrooms. We will project and trace murals before painting to make the process accessible to all skill levels.
Our school serves many refugee and immigrant families that are finding a home in the US. Our students are an incredible, diverse group of children that come from all over the world and speak over 40 languages.
Our students bring a rich tapestry of life experiences and culture to our school, learning from each other just as much as from their teachers.
They have big dreams and ambitious goals. Many want to be doctors, lawyers, engineers, artists, activists, and community leaders. They show compassion and love by helping each other every day--translating, explaining, sympathizing, and celebrating.
Unfortunately, many of our students have experienced loss, life disruptions, trauma, stress, persecution, and poverty. At our school, we try to surround students with the kind of community and support that helps build resiliency. With your help, our students can transform the physical space of their school into something inviting, motivating, and beautiful for all students.
My Project
These materials will help our student-led mural class come to life. Students come to this class with a wide range of experience and skill levels, but all of them have big ideas when it comes to filling up our hallways with culture and color. Students are learning how to select and design murals that will appeal to the entire student body--murals that reflect the rich diversity of interests, backgrounds, and ambitions in our school community. We will use a technique that involves projecting mural images onto walls and canvases, tracing the images, and then painting within the traced lines. This technique makes mural painting accessible to all skill levels and ages. Even students that don't consider themselves "artists" will see that they can contribute to beautifying the school.
In a school where we have many languages and myriad experiences, painting and is something that brings students together and transcends differences in age and background.
Having the supplies necessary for this class is vital to ensuring that all students can participate. The feeling of pride that comes with contributing to a permanent school mural stays with students throughout their school years and long after graduation. It allows students to leave their personal stamp on their school.
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