My incredible Operation Sock Monkey Western Division teamof youth, teachers, support staff, community members of all ages have been hard at work since July, volunteering time and donating supplies and monkeys.
And now part of this great sock monkey collection goes on sale this Saturday at the Strathcona Craft Fair 10 AM-4 PM! 601 Keefer, Vancouver BC
Only $20 each!
Proceeds benefits the KYT Foundation‘s water pipeline project in Nepal as well as my sock monkey therapy for local at-risk youth!
Huge thank you to my sock monkey makers and support team!
I love you all!!! YOU ARE AMAZING!
Special mention to my hero Lynn Gosnell, “Auntie Lynn,” who has created and donated an incredible collection of her monkeys. She is an angel on earth and has positively impacted countless of youth in her many years as a child and youth worker.
Auntie Lynn receiving a sock monkey made by student, Liz, at Keith Lynn Alternative Secondary School in 2011.
And thank you to our beloved customers and donors whose generosity keeps us going!
This is such a feel-good craftivist movement for everyone involved!!!
Check out:
UPDATE November 30, 2015:
The craft sale went well!!! We sold about thirty monkeys- most at $20 each, some at $10 and some given to vulnerable kids. We raised $524.00! I sent $290.00 to KYT Foundation and the rest goes to much-needed supplies and free workshops with local homeless women and youth, as well workshops with refugee youth and students at Mountainside Secondary.
My daughter, Anna Thorsen, manned the booth with me and Queen of sock monkeys, Auntie Lynn, visited us! Her monkeys were a huge hit!Operation Sock Monkey Western Division Operative, Leann Weisbecker, dropped off some gorgeous creations!One of our very happy customers!
Mountainside will be hosting a craft sale December 11 at which we will sell more monkeys (funds from the craft table rentals and sock monkey sales to KYT) and I have a stock of 20 at home I will be offering on ETSY (proceeds to KYT). LINK
I held a workshop for refugee youth last month and we all had a great time! Monkeys spoke a language we all understood! I will be offering more of these workshops in the new year as the need increases and will be assisted by social justice students.
Tons of love! Kat
“I am doing what I can.” – Dukdukdiya, the hummingbird
Update December 9, 2015
A total of $350.00 has been donated so far to Kamala Yonzon Tahrayli Foundation from Operation Sock Monkey sock monkey sales from Nov 28 craft fair sales and Dec 7 sales. Sock monkeys were made by local community members and students at Mountainside Secondary School! And the school is holding a craft fair on Friday Dec 11 to benefit KYT Foundation!
“If the hummingbird shows up in your life as a spirit animal, it may remind you to enjoy life’s simple pleasures and take time to enjoy yourself.
The hummingbird’s wisdom carries an invitation to take part in and draw to you life’s sweetness, like you would drink the nectar of your own flower.” [source]
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My latest hand-sewn sock monkey is made from luscious high quality “Sock it to Me” socks covered in hummingbird designs.
Inside Out Project Summer 2015 was made possible by a generous grant from the Province of British Columbia – Ministry of Justice: Victim Services and Crime Prevention Division
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INSIDE OUT PROJECT- OWN YOUR JOURNEY: breaking the cycle of violence through creativity Activities Report
Location: Mountainside Secondary School, North Vancouver, BC, Canada
Instructors:
Ian Powell: photography, digital media
Kat Thorsen: therapeutic art
Erin Ross: animation
The Inside Out Project Summer 2015 was a three-week intensive arts-based program for youth ages 13-20. Using therapeutic art, photography and stop motion animation participants were taught skills in self-empowerment, peer-to-peer interaction, and how to make healthy, non-violent choices. The goal for the Inside Out Project was to help youth-at-risk address the root causes of violence (with a special focus on violence against women) through creative expression.
Arts-based prevention programs allow for alternative experiences of what life can be like, helping at-risk students discover their own talents and creative energy and providing opportunities to develop their inner resources and explore new options for the future. Using a rich and creative curriculum around the themes of violence prevention, self-actualization, empowerment and creativity– facilitators of the Inside Out Project encourage participants to own their journeys.
The Inside Out Project engages participants with the arts, allowing for successful experiences on which to build the resilience and psychological hardiness as well as providing tools to be able to better meet personal and community challenges and to make healthy, non-violent choices.
Between July 6 and July 24, 2015, 11 participants completed the three-week curriculum.
Week 1 Highlights
• Chalk Talk: How does violence affect how people live their lives?
• Photography introduction
• Vancouver Police Foundation Mounted Squad field trip
• Art journals
• Discussion and reflection on Shane Koyczan’s Ted Talk: To this day- for the bullied and the beautiful.
• #BESTYOUth Emotional Intelligence Workshop (with guest facilitator, Laura Mack)
• Celebration
LIFE SKILLS addressed during the three-week curriculum included:
o Anxiety tools
o Emotional intelligence
o Self-reflection
o Motivation
o Journaling
o Behavioral pattern recognition
o Teamwork
o Chalk talk
o Peer to peer counseling
o Project planning
o Mind mapping
o Interview skills
o Creative process and expression.
CHALK TALK defined:
Three groups of 3-4 students work on three sheets of large paper, silently writing on the topic: how does violence affect how people live their lives? Each group moves at regular intervals to each of the three sheets- adding their thoughts and reflections on existing work. A large group discussion follows. The discussion and subsequent key points serve as a starting point for the final group video project around the theme of violence prevention.
FINAL GROUP VIDEO PROJECT OUTLINE:
Title: Inside Out Project- Own Your Journey
Subtitle: Breaking the Cycle of Violence Through Creativity
Chalk Talk: footage and audio (participant interviews)
Participant Interview:
Like nothing mattered other than drugs. Honestly, I didn’t even care about myself. I didn’t care about what I did. I didn’t care about going to jail. I didn’t care about dying. I didn’t care about anything. I just cared about using. And that is not who I am. It’s crazy how different it made me, like, I don’t think I would recognize myself I saw myself on the street like that.
Well, like, I guess when I’m being creative, it lets me let out all my emotions and like everything that I’m thinking, just like, let me be crazy on a page or whatever… and like when I used heroin it would, like, take it into me again. It wouldn’t let it out. It would just shove it back down and make me feel better that way. Instead of expressing it. That’s why I think I should probably do more art.
The Inside Out Project run by Kat Thorsen, Erin Ross, and Ian Powell this July truly changed my life. Two days before the program started I lost a friend to a heroin overdose. I could have chosen to fall back into my own heroin addiction but the Inside Out Project helped me stay strong throughout this hard time in my life. Honestly, I don’t think I would have made it through without the love, support and whole-hearted care everyone in the program gave me. The Inside Out Project saved me from myself. It saved my life. – Miko
PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS:
• Vancouver Police Department Mounted Squad field trip: tour with Cst. Darcy Henkel, discussion on violence prevention and use of horses, as well as photo essay opportunities. PHOTO ESSAY LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAE1F99nQXM
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• Operation Sock Monkey (OSM) craftivism workshop: OSM is a volunteer-run initiative in support of humanitarian organizations that provide laughter, hope and healing to communities around the world affected by disease, disaster and social/political turmoil.
• #BESTYOUth- Growing Together (ViRTUS /TELUS ®): emotional intelligence workshop with guest facilitator Laura Mack.
Key learnings from #BESTYOUth:
o Get to know your best self
o You always have a choice
o Your values are your inner GPS
o You can learn how not to snap
A SMALL SAMPLING OF PROGRAM MOMENTS:
Wow- even though I KNOW, from years of experience, that art heals, art builds connections and art saves lives- experiencing it again and again never ceases to amaze me. I just completed a three week intensive with 11 amazing youth. (I am so honored to have worked with you all!) It takes a lot of courage to dig deep and these 11 youth certainly did that. Watching them develop and form connections in these past three weeks has certainly been a highlight in my career as therapeutic art facilitator. [Special mention to Miko Philip for bravely sharing her personal story on which we could build our creative expression.] Here is their final project video on the theme of “breaking the cycle of violence through creativity.” Huge thank you’s as well to Ian Powell,Erin Ross for developing and facilitating this program with me. And thank you’s to Lenore Kane and Laura Mack for adding significant enrichment to it. – Katarina Thorsen, July 24, 2015
INSIDE OUT PROJECT: OWN YOUR JOURNEY- Breaking the cycle of violence through creativity
Inside Out Project – Own Your Journey SUMMER 2015is a three week intensive arts-based program running out of Mountainside Secondary School (July 6-24, 2015) for youth ages 13-20 that uses the vehicles of therapeutic art, photography and stop motion animation to teach life and transferable skills while developing self-empowerment, peer to peer interaction, community connections and by providing tools to make healthy, non-violent choices. The goal for Inside Out is to help students address the root causes of violence (with a special focus on violence against women) through creative expression. The program allows students to creatively reflect on self, to work in a team and to experience critical engagement and transformative changes that shift their attitudes and behaviors in order to prevent violence. Three experienced facilitators (Ian Powell, Erin Ross, Kat Thorsen) provide instruction and support.
Day 3, July 8, 2015: Animation and anatomical hearts LINK
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Day 4 and 5: Digging in deeper.
We were busy last few days! Hands-On Animation Tests, Public Service Announcement Discussions, Mind Mapping, Shane Koyczan TEDTalk, Project Planning, Therapeutic Arts and Crafts, Dialoguing, Creative Process etc…
What I love seeing unfold are the connections forming within the group.
Here are some highlights from Day 4 and 5: —
I sit before flowers hoping they will train me in the art of opening up
I stand on mountain tops believing that avalanches will teach me to let go
I know nothing
but I am here to learn.
― Shane Koyczan
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It has quickly become apparent that this is our hub/dialogue/creativity table. We move back and forth naturally between the computer lab and this room where we do old fashioned handmade stuff and group dialogue/mindmapping.
It hurts to stretch your wings. But doesn’t it hurt even more to let them atrophy?
You can survive without Creativity. But you won’t ever come fully alive & unapologetically yourself, unless you practice it, every damn day. – Andréa Balt, Creative Rehab
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Next week we begin our group animation project! Stay tuned!
INSIDE OUT PROJECT: OWN YOUR JOURNEY- Breaking the cycle of violence through creativity
Inside Out Project – Own Your Journey SUMMER 2015is a three week intensive arts-based program running out of Mountainside Secondary School (July 6-24, 2015) for youth ages 13-20 that uses the vehicles of therapeutic art, photography and stop motion animation to teach life and transferable skills while developing self-empowerment, peer to peer interaction, community connections and by providing tools to make healthy, non-violent choices. The goal for Inside Out is to help students address the root causes of violence (with a special focus on violence against women) through creative expression. The program allows students to creatively reflect on self, to work in a team and to experience critical engagement and transformative changes that shift their attitudes and behaviors in order to prevent violence. Three experienced facilitators (Ian Powell, Erin Ross, Kat Thorsen) provide instruction and support.
Today we were introduced to the principals of animation from Erin Ross as we prepare to tackle our big group project: a collaborative stop motion animation short on the theme of violence prevention.
We also worked on colouring and embroidering anatomical hearts for our art journal covers.
There’s nothing harder to do in animation than nothing. Movement is our medium.
INSIDE OUT PROJECT: OWN YOUR JOURNEY- Breaking the cycle of violence through creativity
Inside Out Project – Own Your Journey SUMMER 2015is a three week intensive arts-based program running out of Mountainside Secondary School (July 6-24, 2015) for youth ages 13-20 that uses the vehicles of therapeutic art, photography and stop motion animation to teach life and transferable skills while developing self-empowerment, peer to peer interaction, community connections and by providing tools to make healthy, non-violent choices. The goal for Inside Out is to help students address the root causes of violence (with a special focus on violence against women) through creative expression. The program allows students to creatively reflect on self, to work in a team and to experience critical engagement and transformative changes that shift their attitudes and behaviors in order to prevent violence. Three experienced facilitators (Ian Powell, Erin Ross, Kat Thorsen) provide instruction and support.
A huge thank you to VPD horse trainer, Darcy Henkel, for hosting and to all the horses for putting up with our curiosity and cameras! Stay tuned for a photo essay by our students.
The following photos from today’s visit by photographer/filmmaker, Jennifer Chow, who joined us today:
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Check out Jennifer Chow’s short film about the VPD Mounted Unit:
INSIDE OUT PROJECT: OWN YOUR JOURNEY- Breaking the cycle of violence through creativity
Inside Out Project – Own Your Journey SUMMER 2015is a three week intensive arts-based program running out of Mountainside Secondary School (July 6-24, 2015) for youth ages 13-20 that uses the vehicles of therapeutic art, photography and stop motion animation to teach life and transferable skills while developing self-empowerment, peer to peer interaction, community connections and by providing tools to make healthy, non-violent choices. The goal for Inside Out is to help students address the root causes of violence (with a special focus on violence against women) through creative expression. The program allows students to creatively reflect on self, to work in a team and to experience critical engagement and transformative changes that shift their attitudes and behaviors in order to prevent violence. Three experienced facilitators (Ian Powell, Erin Ross, Kat Thorsen) provide instruction and support.
The program begins with a focus on self, moves into teamwork and ultimately into community.
Week 1: SELF
Photography, therapeutic art, journaling, drawing to focus on self-regulation and creative process
Week 2: TEAM
Team building, project planning, stop motion animation, self and group-directed learning
Week 3: COMMUNITY
Project completion, self-evaluation, community outreach, presentation and celebration
An extension of the Inside Out Project Own Your Journey at Mountainside Secondary 2014-2015, the animation portion- spearheaded by my colleague and dear friend, Ian Powell- engaged students in a deep and meaningful way. Ian chose The Red Tree by Shaun Tan as the vehicle to help students address social and emotional intelligence, self-reflection and empowerment as well as project planning and passion-based learning. Students worked individually or in small groups to interpret and animate each page of the dark and remarkable book:
The Red Tree is a story without any particular narrative; a series of distinct imaginary worlds as self-contained images which invite readers to draw their own meaning in the absence of any written explanation. As a concept, the book is inspired by the impulse of children and adults alike to describe feelings using metaphor – monsters, storms, sunshine, rainbows and so on. Moving beyond cliché, I sought painted images that might further explore the expressive possibilities of this kind of shared imagination, which could be at once strange and familiar. A nameless young girl appears in every picture, a stand-in for ourselves; she passes helplessly through many dark moments, yet ultimately finds something hopeful at the end of her journey. Shaun Tan – source
Congratulations to all who worked on the piece. Your interpretations are breathtaking and your dedication to the project an inspiration!
Shaun Tan’s The Red Tree, Mountainside Secondary School 2015:
Kamala and Sunkosi of the KYT Foundation (china marker on newsprint)
Kamala Yonzon and her daughter Sunkosi treated me to a beautiful Nepalese dinner at Café Kathmandu last night and we chatted about life and creativity and family. I am so blessed to connect on a deeper level with these two extraordinary women.
The Kamala Yonzon Tahrayli Foundation is a Vancouver, B.C.-based non-profit established to bring flowing water to a remote Nepali village in the Kabre Palanchowk District; Healay Chaubas.
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Kamala’s dream to bring water to her village has been in progress since her father’s passing 5 years ago. Now with the devastating earthquake, the dream has become an urgent quest. 80% of the buildings in Kamala’s village have been ruined and the residents now sleep in the fields.
Photo courtesy of Kamala YonzonPhoto courtesy of Kamala Yonzon
As the residents begin the difficult task of rebuilding, this is the optimum time to bring in a water pipeline as infrastructure is reevaluated.
My youth programming continues to maintain a connection to the KYT Foundation.
Next goals, besides a social media/awareness push, is a fundraising dinner hosted by Kamala, a re-creation of the distance walked by villagers to get water from the nearest river and interactive art installation and a school-wide celebration.
Help us reach the $5000 goal! ❤️
The Nepalese national flower: rhododendron (chinamarker and acrylic on newsprint)
North Vancouver teen finds her passion through arts-based program and launches campaign to raise funds to bring water tank and pipeline to remote village in Nepal:
It is such an honor to be facilitating The Inside Out Project at Mountainside Secondary, North Vancouver, with my colleague Ian Powell.
The heart of the Inside Out Project is to awaken the passion within the participants- to encourage the students to own their journey– and to support them as they project-plan and as they enter their futures.
Can art change the world? Maybe… we should change the question: Can art change people’s lives? – JR
Caddy’s passion:
Caddy Pattison, a Mountainside student who has struggled with school avoidance and her own challenges, awakened to her passion during the Inside Out Project– to make a positive global impact and to create awareness about conditions children and youth experience around the world.
Caddy is specifically inspired to raise awareness about children who need to walk miles for water daily, impeding their ability to attend school.
Serendipitously, when Caddy told me her idea, I knew of a local/global cause that fits the bill.
The cause:
I connected Caddy with my friend, Kamala Yonzon, of the KYTFOUNDATION.
The Kamala Yonzon Tahrayli Foundation is a Vancouver, B.C.-based non-profit established to bring flowing water to a remote Nepali village in the Kabre Palanchowk District; Healay Chaubas.
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Caddy’s mission:
Caddy’s mission is to help Kamala raise the $20,000 needed to build the tank and pipeline for her village. This will open the opportunity for children to attend school, for the building of a local hospital, to create employment etc.
My name is Caddy Pattison and I’m starting my year of empowerment and change by raising awareness for the remote Nepal village in the Kabre Palanchowk District; Healay Chaubas.
This community walks over an hour, several times a day, for a jug of water from the river. That means whenever they want to cook, clean, bathe, or simply get a drink they’re walking miles to do so. It is mostly the children and women of the community that are doing the walking and missing out on an education. With this campaign, I am looking to raise $20,000 for a water pipeline leading from the river to the village. There is also going to be a substantial walk in June to put ourselves in their shoes. Once the pipeline is started, it will create room for employment, education, and empowerment in the community.
We have the advantage in North America of having an endless water supply, free education, and millions of chances for employment. Take a moment to please like and share this page with your family and friends to raise awareness for this good cause. Donations will begin in May, but if you are eager to help, you can donate at http://kytfoundation.org/ . This is a honest, and tangible foundation. 100% of the proceeds will be going to building the pipeline. We are currently looking for sponsors for promotion.
Thank you for taking the time to read and your consideration. – Caddy Pattison
Caddy’s action plan:
Caddy is now in process of achieving this goal. She has met with Kamala, created a plan of action, a blog, a facebook page.
Caddy meeting with Kamala and Kamala’s daughter, Suna.
Caddy’s blog:
Caddy’s Facebook page:
Caddy has presented to the school district:
Congratulations Caddy Pattison on an incredible presentation on Feb 10, 2015 in front of 150 teachers #SD44 on your #walkforwater project benefitting KYT FOUNDATION and thank you Parmida Afsahi for documenting the event and to my colleague Ian Powell.
And has presented to the legislature in Victoria:
Sr. MSS student Caddy Pattison at the Victoria Legislature telling her story and experiences at MSS to the Premier and MLA’s on this Bully Free Pink Shirt Day!! Caddy spoke eloquently about mental health, finding support at school, and wrap around services.Caddy and Mountainside principal, Jeremy Church, on their way to Victoria.
And Caddy attends school!
Caddy has struggled with school avoidance and lack of engagement. Mountainside has provided her with the safe haven she needs to heal and develop to her full potential. And her Walk for Water Nepal project is teaching her life skills and academic skills in a way that has true longevity and positive impact on both Caddy and the community.
So what’s next?
Several events have been planned to lead up to the main fundraising event on Indiegogo Life in May.
Pre-launch events such as:
• Awareness and activty day with Braemar Elementary School
• A North Vancouver walk event
• An instagram hashtag selfie campaign
• A re-creation of the length of the walk and the weight of the water the children in the village have to endure on a daily basis.
So why this one cause, this one girl?
Caddy illustrates the future of education– passion-based learning. To truly engage students we must engage their passion and we must share our own. Profound life skills are organically learned. The student and teacher, the school and the community at large are profoundly and positively impacted.
When instruction is driven not just by data but by the passions of the students behind the data there is no child left behind scratching their head wondering what they’re going to do with their lives. – Lisa Nielsen
So what can you do to help?
Caddy’s cause needs $. That is indeed the goal- for Caddy to present Kamala with a cheque for $20,000 by June 2015. On one hand, that is alot of $. But is it? Not in this internet age.
• So start saving your pennies for the May campaign.
• Stay tuned here for the events mentioned above.
• If you are in the media, interview Caddy.
• If you are on social media: Share Caddy’s story. Share Kamala’s story.
• If you are inspired by this story, find your own passion. Share it with us!
On September 30, 2014, I began my collaboration with Ian Powell at Mountainside Secondary on the INSIDE OUT PROJECT- OWN YOUR JOURNEY, inspired by my hero JR:
My portrait of JR, China Marker on Newsprint, pasted in Gastown in 2014
MOUNTAINSIDE SECONDARY: Inside Out Project: Own Your Journey
Youth-run initiative using the vehicle of portrait photography and street art to learn life and transferable skills while developing self-empowerment, peer to peer interaction and community connections.
THEMES: Connection and Empowerment
As they work through the curriculum, the students gain valuable life and transferable skills.
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We use TED TALKS to inspire and to induce dialogue and self-reflection around the theme.
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Student journal entry
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When you try to be yourself there will be people who will put you down. You grow up looking up to people and not knowing who you are and being told what to do and what not to do. We all deal with pain in different ways- some do it in a sad way. Having to live in a world where judging a person we don’t even know is a good way to make yourself feel better, or even judging a person makes ‘cool.’ But in the end we are all on this earth for a reason ans we should all love ourselves the way we are and respect all of our good qualities and get rid of all the negative, cruelty thoughts. – student journal entry
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Our unique angle is that this is a youth run project: by addressing their own vulnerability as they connect wtih people/community through portrait photography, the youth feel empowered— and, in turn— empower the subject to feel comfortable being vulnerable in front of the camera!
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Behind-the-scenes documentary by Parmida Afsahi:
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The curriculum includes photography, rubrics, journaling, mindmapping, project planning, visual art, wheatpasting, discussions, field trips, group work and self-directed studies from animation to community projects.
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The project continues until the end of April.
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The plan is for the project to culminate in a large outdoor installation in the Spring.
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The beauty of an art project is that you cannot always measure the impact, but one day it can become clear.
– JR
Can art change the world? Maybe… we should change the question: Can art change people’s lives? – JR
Congratulations Caddy Pattison on an incredible presentation on Feb 10, 2015 in front of 150 teachers #SD44 on your #walkforwater project benefitting KYT FOUNDATION and thank you Parmida Afsahi for documenting the event and to my colleague Ian Powell.
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STAY TUNED FOR INCREDIBLE NEWS RE: INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH PROJECTS AND GLORIOUS ANIMATIONS!
Youth-run initiative using the vehicle of portrait photography and street art to learn life and transferable skills while developing self-empowerment, peer to peer interaction and community connections.
THEMES: Connection and Empowerment
CO-FACILITATORS: IAN POWELL, KAT THORSEN
Pilot Project: September 30, 2014- October 30, 2014
INSPIRED BY OUR HERO, STREET ARTIST JR:
The beauty of an art project is that you cannot always measure the impact, but one day it can become clear.
– JR
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We just completed a school photo shoot and will be looking at the images tomorrow. It’s been a glorious few weeks. Creating art pieces, diving into photography, exploring self-empowerment, watching and discussing pertinent TED Talks, journaling, bonding, connecting. The core team will now explore the option of creating a documentary about the project as we hope to build the program throughout the year.
Art is not supposed to change the world, to change practical things, but to change perceptions. Art can change the way we see the world. Art can create an analogy. – JR
The power of paper and glue… – JR
Can art change the world? Maybe… we should change the question: Can art change people’s lives? – JR
Art is not meant to change the world, but when you see people interacting, when you see an impact on their lives, then I guess in a smaller way, this is changing the world. So, that’s what I believe in. That’s why I’m into creating more and more interactions. – JR
I am so excited to be part of this incredible project inspired by my hero JR:
MOUNTAINSIDE SECONDARY: Inside Out Project: Own Your Journey
Youth-run initiative using the vehicle of portrait photography and street art to learn life and transferable skills while developing self-empowerment, peer to peer interaction and community connections.
THEMES: Connection and Empowerment
CO-FACILITATORS: IAN POWELL, KAT THORSEN
Pilot Project: September 30, 2014- October 30, 2014
Mountainside Secondary School (MSS) is the North Vancouver School Districts smallest and newest secondary school, meeting the Ministry of Education requirements for funding as an Alternative School (BCEDAlternate Program Policy).
MSS functions as part of the continuum of social/emotional/behavioural supports that are available to all students at all secondary schools in the NVSD, and targets students in Grades 9-12 (ages 14-19).
MSS aims to allow for varied and alternate pathways to graduation (80 credit or Adult) or School Completion, and beyond.
MSS Core Values
Mutual respect
Genuine relationships
Flexibility
Choice
Individual accountability
Community Connections
TEST SHOOT, INTERSECTIONS MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH SOCIETY, 2013-2014 (including Mountainside students/alumni)
As mentioned, we are part of a global art initiative founded by French street artist JR, winner of the 2011 Ted Talk Prize. Our project is called: The Inside Out Project- Own Your Journey.
As they work through the curriculum, the students will be gaining some valuable life and transferable skills.
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We use TED TALKS to inspire and to induce dialogue and self-reflection around the theme.
Student journal entry
When you try to be yourself there will be people who will put you down. You grow up looking up to people and not knowing who you are and being told what to do and what not to do. We all deal with pain in different ways- some do it in a sad way. Having to live in a world where judging a person we don’t even know is a good way to make yourself feel better, or even judging a person makes ‘cool.’ But in the end we are all on this earth for a reason ans we should all love ourselves the way we are and respect all of our good qualities and get rid of all the negative, cruelty thoughts. – student journal entry
We are registering our project with JR’s site on Tuesday! And our unique angle is that it is a youth run project and that by addressing their own vulnerability by connecting w people/community through portrait photography, the youth, in turn, empower the subject to feel comfortable being vulnerable in front of the camera!
The project will culminate in a large outdoor installation in the Spring. A documentary and a behind the scenes short film will also be produced!
Co-facilitator Ian Powell and his dog, Finnegan!
STAY TUNED FOR OUR FUNDRAISER TO HELP US WITH PRINTING COSTS AND PROGRAM EXPANSION!!!
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