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2002 Mural Project:
Results
With the completion of our third and fourth
murals, the Arts Council has succeeded in building a viable
and sustainable arts-based program that addresses many of
the issues affecting the at-risk youth in our community. This
summer, in particular, we were successful at implementing
a mentoring component that added an important dimension to
the program. We also reinforced the concepts of individual
accountability and the repercussions to the larger community
for the actions of a single individual.
The at-risk teens from Youth Services
saw themselves in some of the children they mentored at the
Foundation for Youth and the kids who played at the Donner
playground adjacent to the Shelter House. They began to see
the interconnectedness of the community and the necessity
for health at every level of the structure in order to make
a healthy whole. There were many important breakthroughs with
this population this summer.
The arts have a place in assisting with the reduction of juvenile
crime, violence and drug use. They are also an effective tool
for improving communication skills, enhancing academic performance,
and building self-discipline. We believe the Columbus Mural
Project addresses many of the issues surrounding at-risk youth
and offers one pathway for positively affecting their lives.
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