Similar programs to learn from:
https://www.rawartworks.org | Raw Art Works, Lynn, MA
Mission statement: RAW is a youth arts organization, rooted in art therapy. At its core, RAW believes that all kids should be seen and heard and that everyone has a story to tell. Located in Lynn, Massachusetts, RAW offers a variety of free programming from painting to filmmaking for kids ages 7-19. RAW uses art to ask kids “what is really going on” in their lives, giving them the tools to create in unexpected ways, and envision new possibilities for their future.
Raw is everything that I envision for my program. They’ve succeeded in helping students for years. I hope to model their success and bring an identical program to Roxbury.
https://minni.space/media-kit | Minni.Space, South End, MA
“Minni is a creative community space run by professional artists and educators. We empower little ones to design great things. Minni offers a place for the art community to come together.”
Minni offers online workshops, as well as activities to be done at home. If I can’t bring this to Roxbury, I will begin this online, as an accessible option for students.
http://museintheattic.net | The Muse art Therapy, Brighton, MA
“A safe environment for children, adolescents, and adults to explore, communicate, and process experiences, challenges, and needs through creative expression. Fosters healthy growth and improves overall functioning & emotional well-being. Over 15 Years of experience!
Children and adolescents may not always have the words or vocabulary to describe how they feel. They may also have difficulty identifying their emotions and managing them, but you as a parent may have noticed some changes in your child. If you’re worried or feeling overwhelmed, art therapy may be a good alternative.
Creative expression through art offers a natural, playful and safe environment for children of all ages to explore, communicate and process experiences, challenges, and needs and learn new ways to cope with their present challenges.”
What am I offering?
As the semester continues, I find myself asking the same question, Do I need to be an art therapy to utilize art as a therapeutic outlet successfully? Most of my research has been separating the difference between what I want to accomplish and provide to my students, versus the clinical results that I can’t offer without that degree. The following websites go into detailed comparisons of the two.
Therapy is an act, a profession, and a researched concept. A therapist provides it, tailored to a patient with specific goals in mind with expected outcomes anticipated. It has reasoning and sound science as a foundation.
Therapeutic is almost just like all the above things. It makes you feel good, it feels just like therapy to be exact, and looks like it too! It does not, however, have a valid reason for existence; it is not the end to a goal and is not patient-specific.
https://wikidiff.com/therapeutic/therapy
Therapeutic is a related term of therapy.
Therapy as an adjective therapeutic is of or relating to therapy.
Therapy as a noun therapy is the treatment of disease or disability, physical or mental.
Therapy as a verb therapy is to treat with therapy.
Potential interviews:
Founder of Minni, Kelly Harris Smith, She’s managed to create an inviting space that welcomes children of all ages with the support of parents and others in the community.
Founder of the Boston Blue Jays and Next Level Baseball, Christian Ortiz. He’s agreed to meet and share resources to building a program from the ground up, without funding, in Boston. He’s created a league out of nothing, and now has baseball AND a softball traveling team. All through fundraising and multiple attempts at grant writing.
Raw, Lynn. I will make it a plan to visit Raw once quarantine is over. It is powerful in what it’s accomplished, and I feel that my most invaluable resource will be to see it for myself and get insight from everyone involved.
Iris Lapaix, Ekua Holmes, and the Spark Mobile crew, I’d like to interview them, as we’ve only spoken casually, but both ladies are very insightful and have direct experience with the Grove hall community in Roxbury. They work out of the grove hall library and have locations I can utilize.
Co-Founder & Art Therapist of The Muse Art Therapy Studio, Yael Assaf-Gruzman, has agreed to a phone interview, since my plan to visit and experience art therapy as a participant is on hold.
It's a child's world 