Community Quilts
The JUST US: Community Quilts Curriculum was developed by Dr. Janna Robertson for the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion at University of North Carolina, Wilmington. This curriculum was designed for use in and out of school settings capable of delivery in one or more installments.
Empathy Activities (Begin Here)
Youth will experience activities to develop social-emotional learning competencies related to empathy. The AIDS quilt will serve as a touchstone for the project. It enables students to connect with families who have lost a loved one to AIDS and demonstrates how the quilt panels are a creative tool to help families process their feelings.
Tissue paper art allowed students from various organizations to creatively prepare a section of a tissue quilt, which was included in a larger tissue quilt for the community. The art was displayed for the community in its entirety (see Photos) and now participating entities received a smaller portion of the quilt as a memento. Currently a section can be seen at the Harrelson Center.
Accommodations for Special Needs
It is essential that students of all different abilities be included. Most of the activities can be completed with students of almost all ages and skill levels. One exception is the Empathy Stories which requires reading. We have alternative ways to complete that activity on that webpage if your students cannot read. We also suggest having students work with partners or with teacher's assistance for the Tissue Quilt activity if they have difficulty using glue sticks to glue items.