Maker Educator Convening

Community arts settings can cultivate generative spaces for young people to reflect upon their identities and experiences, dialogue on local issues, and create art inspired by and responsive to local communities and cultures. The arts also provide a way of telling stories, an act that has been shown to affirm identity and empower oppressed communities. As a vehicle for meaning-making and expression, the arts can facilitate young people’s deep engagement with their local experiences and the significance of their neighborhoods in their lives. In this session, participants will engage in the brainstorming and sketching of a quilt block that illustrates an important current issue to highlight. Participants will also engage in a dialogue about current issues facing our young people and the best practices to create a brave space in their respective classrooms in order to hold that conversation.