Simpson creates in the name of her ancestry and exists in a state of "in-betweenness". She says "When you can’t ever be comfortable in one place, the discomfort can create an incredible environment for investigation.." The ability to reflect upon identity, notions of home, and self is an important "risk" we are inviting students to make while learning and making art. 

Here & There is a participatory installation inspired by investigating this statement, the ongoing process of becoming.

Participants are invited to fill in the statement, HERE I (AM//CAN BE) (blank) THERE (I AM/CAN BE)(blank) on an online website hereandthere.lizania.com as well as using an Ipad at the exhibition.. These responses were then printed onto flags, front and back, and hung throughout the gallery space.

As a multidisciplinary artist, Leonardo is informed by his past experiences as an athlete and an educator; physical embodiment and community dialogue are key tools of his practice. He uses body and movement; a performance work, for his art storytelling. In his work Mirror/Echo/Tilt,2019 he founded an arts diversion program for court-involved youth in the theme of criminal justice to show art’s imaginative power to inspire participants to envision new possibilities for themselves.

The discussion between Bell Hooks and Laverne Cox in the New School addresses the notion of safety and the circumstance of “risk” while having conversations across differences. “Risk” is described as an invitation to authentically learn despite the fear of misspeaking or “messing up”. hooks also believe that similar to love, learning has to involve risk to grow and establish genuine relationships and understanding of one another. She invites the classroom to be a space where students take “risks'' by asking questions and welcoming discomfort in the name of love and kindness. This source is useful to our research when cultivating “new” discussions with students across marginalized identities. Such discussions call for taking risks to learn about topics our students might not be familiar with. 

The Urban Youth Collaborative is a student-led coalition of NYC youth fighting to end the school-to-prison structure and transform the city’s public schools into a nurturing, inclusive, and supportive learning environment. Their aim is to end punitive disciplinary practices, fight for police-free schools, and end federal funding for student criminalization practices in New York City. This website will be a reliable resource to analyze how students are leading the transition of their schools into a safe space through their experiences and stories in New York City schools. 

This article explores the role of non-formal arts education in addressing the economic and cultural challenges of young marginalized students in a vulnerable environment. While cultural capital has traditionally been linked to high socioeconomic status, the organization (The Center for Music and Performing Arts; CMPA) investigates the inclusivity of a non-formal education project and its impact on empowering youth and fostering self-confidence through the arts. The case studies observed the various activities of the organization without direct participation and conducted qualitative interviews with both young individuals and educators. The article concludes with recommendations, emphasizing the consideration of artistic non-formal education as a valuable tool in any social inclusion agenda.