TCEP - Sara / William SY22 Summer

OLLIN Youth Summer Leadership Institute

 Program Description

Over the summer months 17 students, aged 15-18, designed and implemented a 6 week Leadership Institute. Youth worked from May to July to decide on what those 6 weeks would contain. They wanted to be impactful with their choices but also mindful of the allotted time and what would help create the biggest takeaways for themselves and younger participants. They focused their schedules around themes they felt were important and that they could discuss. Youth then choose art projects that correlate to help provide an artistic component to the themes. They covered; Team bonding, as the first step in creating a good group is the time spent becoming comfortable with each other. Community Aid, youth wished to talk about their neighborhood, the effects gentrification has had on their community and what they could do. Physical health, the importance of taking care of your body. Mental health, as well as the mind, especially given the past several years. And Leadership, creating the confidence and safety for students to host their own showcase. 

26 students in total participated, led and learned over the summer program.

How can the collaborative art making processes help us define individual leadership styles?

When can art be used to creatively demonstrate community needs?

How do youth use art making to solve problems in their community?

During the planning stages youth worked to identify what themes they wished to focus on and explore over the summer. Maestro William facilitated exploratory conversations around those themes encouraging and helping flesh out ideas into workable projects. Youth presented ideas ranging from building a planet to learning to beautify the neighborhood. Youth were encouraged to be thoughtful with their choices and were asked to explain their link back to their themes. Through several conversations students landed on their chosen projects.

For team bonding week youth wanted to create a T-shirt that they could wear for field trips and that encapsulated the summer. Youth knew they wanted to represent both Little Village and Ollin in the shirt so they worked together to create a basic outline of the design, but what to fill it with? Maestro William helped flesh that out, asking youth to draw an image that represents Ollin and then to draw a symbol that represents the positive aspects of Little Village. Little Village images; a taquero, elote, flags, soccer balls and the sun made up the iconic LV arch. While the images they felt represented Ollin; hearts,  growth, togetherness, and change filled in the Ollin symbol behind it. Maestro William but all the youth images together in a gorgeous composition to showcase their drawings. Youth spent 2 weeks screen printing shirts with Maestro William

project description

What would you make for yourself or for a loved one?

jewelry making process

Project Description

Tye dying process

tote bag screen printing

community celebration description

Project description

sewing process