Expressions from the Inside

Expressions from the Inside

Program Overview: Expressive art workshops for communities needing alternative outlets to express themselves and articulate their emotions. Facilitated by licensed professionals and community health workers, the 10-part series provides participants with an opportunity for personal and emotional growth through various art forms.

Group sessions are limited to 20 participants to allow time for intimate discussion, individualized attention, and, most importantly, to ensure a safe space for self-expression. The objective for each session is to discuss, articulate and share a selected theme geared to developing coping mechanisms and a deeper understanding of personal experiences.

The target demographic for the program is school-aged youth coping with traumatic experiences and the Ladies of the Arc, the foundation’s collective of women who have lost children to gun violence.

Goals And Expectations:

●  Coping Mechanisms: At the end of every session, participants will be taught a series of coping strategies the group will practice together. The objective is they will apply the technique if they are triggered outside of the session.

●  Technical Art Training: The licensed professionals facilitating the sessions are certified art instructors. Throughout the 10-part series, instructors will teach participants various techniques and provide them with take-home art materials for continued practice.

●  Access to Health Resources: The program is the access point to healthcare services. The program will partner with healthcare providers near schools and community centers where the program is being facilitated. The expectation is that certain participants will require additional health resources and case management, and the responsibility of the program’s facilitators will be to serve as a liaison between the parents/guardians, school and healthcare providers.