SCHOOL OUTREACH AND YOUTH EXHIBITION PROGRAM FOR ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN SUPPORT OF YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH
This program includes an elementary school outreach component, where our ECFTA Arts Educators ‘take art on the road’ to school classrooms throughout the community. For high school students, the ‘call for student artists’ is incorporated into their arts curriculum. The goal for each year is to create a theme that connects back to mental health and self reflection, utilizing the creative project as the catalyst for sharing and dialogue. The project partners with YouthTalk (a division of CMHA), UGDSB Support Services, CWDHS staff and others.
In 2019 our theme was “See the Forest Through the Trees: an exhibition in support of youth mental health” where students learned about the strength and power of trees and how we can learn from their resilience. Project were submitted and a jury selected over 120 pieces for the exhibition. Over 600 people visited the exhibition, including the opening reception and several school field trips to the gallery. A commemorative book was published to capture the exhibition and artist thoughts.
The program was supported by grants from The Ken Danby Legacy Fund at the Guelph Community Foundation, Neighbourwoods and Centre Wellington Community Foundation.
In 2020, the Planet Youth theme was #therealselfieproject in support of youth mental health and challenged students to reflect and consider their best and worst selves, celebrating a time or place when they were at their best or what their “self” looked like when it faced challenges. The exhibition and larger program was postponed due to Covid-19.
