The ARTS 4 Justice initiative connects system-involved young people with creative arts programming and community-based projects in an effort to confront and respond the root causes of systemic violence and injustice in communities across south San Diego.
In collaboration with teaching artist and staff from ARTS, youth participant put Creative Youth Development (CYD) practices into action through their stories, ideas, dreams, and visions for a better future that find creative expression in murals, photography, comics, zines, and other works. All programming culminates in final presentations that JCCS students give in front families, friends, and peers, teachers and community partners. These occasions make the public unveiling of a mural, installation, or other exhibition created by the young people.
We do this work in close partnership with the Juvenile Court and Community Schools (JCCS) District, serving sites across the South Region of the county: South County Academy (National City), Lindsay Community School (Barrio Logan), and Victoria Community School (San Ysidro).
Murals and Mosaics
A great example of art coming alive in community is the creation of this incredible mosaic mural by students from the South County Academy in National City, who worked with ARTS teaching artist Rob Tobin.
Check out this video of the installation process:
stream1.sdcoe.net/wc/mural/
Read more about this project and our collaboration:
www.areasontosurvive.org/the-state-of-arts/san-diego-county-office-of-education-murals
Design Jams
JCCS students at SCA and Victoria campuses engaged with ARTS teaching artists to lean about zine-making, printmaking, comics and illustration through series of Design Jams in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021.
