Creating Welcoming Spaces: ARTS 4 Justice and JCCS
Finished mural created by JCCS Global Academy in February 2025 as part of ARTS 4 Justice Legacy Project
ARTS 4 Justice has developed a meaningful partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education and their Juvenile Court and Community Schools (JCCS) campus in National City to co-create spaces of belonging with youth in their Global and South Academy classes, and students take even more pride in their campus.
“It’s been such a gift to see the JCCS students create these murals and take ownership of their spaces. They’re making beautiful art, but they’re also building community among themselves.”
Last Fall, a group of 10 students from the South Academy class kicked off a legacy mural project featuring magnolias. These flowers were chosen to be included in the mural for their calming effects, providing a cool spot for students to relax and unwind. We also included bamboo in the design, which will match the natural bamboo that will be added later.
Kelsey Kenny, ARTS 4 Justice Teaching Artist, shared, "It’s been such a gift to see the JCCS students create these murals and take ownership of their spaces. They’re making beautiful art, but they're also building community among themselves."
ARTS 4 Justice Legacy Project with South Academy JCCS students
“This collaboration not only fostered a sense of belonging but also became a powerful medium for healing and self-discovery.”
The Global Academy recently completed a mural that tells a story of migration and cultural connections. They’re focusing on monarch butterflies, which symbolize migration, and flowers from different cultures. We have dahlias, popular in Mexico, representing creativity and strength, and araguaney flowers to honor the beauty of Venezuela.
Dr. Floyd North, the principal of SDCOE’s Juvenile Court and Community Schools in the south and east regions, has been a major proponent of the collaboration between ARTS and JCCS. He has worked to find ways to "provide students with creative outlets that foster healing and self-expression" through partnerships with arts organizations across the county. We want to congratulate Dr. North for being recently recognized as one of ACSA Region 19's Administrators of the Year. He stated, "By engaging in the creative process, students found new ways to express their emotions, share their experiences, and connect with one another. This collaboration not only fostered a sense of belonging but also became a powerful medium for healing and self-discovery."
““When I came in with the initial design it was nice to hear the excitement of their drawing being incorporated into the design, accompanied by big smiles!””
JCCS South Academy most recent updated sketches, featuring local and cultural iconography
This Spring, ARTS 4 Justice Teaching Artist Lerida Armendariz is working with 13 students at the JCCS South Academy. "The mural is meant to serve as a welcome message for students entering the class, as many of the students reside on the other side of the border and come from various countries in the South." The word welcome will be in Spanish as ¡BIENVENIDOS! featuring imagery from various regions of North, South, Central America, and the Caribbean. Most students in this class are Spanish speakers and live a cross-border life, and felt it was important for them to create a space welcoming to others like them.
Keep an eye out for updates on how this project is coming along and some other cool legacy projects we’ve got planned with the San Diego County Office of Education and the Juvenile Court and Community Schools here in National City. More exciting things are on the way!
