Course History

As a result of receiving a Speak Up grant from the Ontario Ministry of Education, R.S. McLaughlin Students began "Sk8Board of Education", a Skateboard Club to learn about graffiti, contemporary art and skateboard design.  Club members met almost daily to share their expertise and passion for various forms of urban and street art.  In 2011, curriculum was developed to run a grade 10 Urban Art for Social Change course at M.C.V.I. which quickly grew into many sections and waiting lists.  The Skateboard Club continued to grow and evolve with the ongoing assistance of Speak Up grants.  In 2012, a grade 11 course was added to the course calendar at M.C.V.I. and quickly became very successful.  We are pleased to announce that a grade 12 level Urban Art for Social change course has been added to the 2016-2017 school calendar.

     With the focus of creating art for social change, funding from numerous Speak Up grants, and the support of school administrators and community mentors, students decided to extend our program to grade 8 students at Woodcrest P.S. by running a full day graffiti and skateboard design workshop in 2013.  The workshop was highly successful and made the transition from grade 8 to high school a positive experience.  Many of the students who participated as grade 8's are currently involved in our Urban Art program.

     In 2015, UASC (Urban Art for Social Change) students proposed to not only extend our program to our feeder schools, but also make it available to the larger community by developing a "Graffiti School" to run throughout this school year and the next. Again funded by the Ontario Ministry of Education, students have developed a series of street art and urban art workshops that will take place in the Living Room Community Art Studio in Oshawa.  These workshops will be offered free of charge to youth ages 11 to 19 and will be assisted by local artists who will act as mentors not only to our student leaders but also to workshop participants.