Collaborations with the Alliance for Youth Achievement

From 2016-2019, Lauren served a board member for the Alliance for Youth Achievement (AYA), formerly known as the Alum Rock Education Foundation. She continues to serve on the AYA Art Program Committee, which focuses on public art workshops and youth leadership.

She also collaborates with the AYA to bring educational experiences to Eastside youth in San Jose, CA, including an annual teaching role at the Art & Design Thinking Camp and leading after school programming.

Shadow Theater

Art & Design Thinking Camp

July 2019

For more information about my camp day, visit the ADTC website.

Photography by Alliance for Youth Achievement

The Ocean is Calling

A Public Art Activation Project

September-October 2018

This is the first public space activation project by the AYA Arts Committee, lead by artist Michele Guieu with myself and Corinne Okada as supporting artists. Public space activation projects bring free art experiences to underused urban areas of San Jose. Funded by the California Arts Council, the AYA Arts Committee partnered with the San Jose Downtown Association to put on The Ocean is Calling in Fountain Alley, a free public art experience to call attention to the importance of protecting ocean life. This shadow theater project had multiple ways for the public to participate, including playing with big shadow puppets and wearables on our large shadow stage and creating small, self illuminating shadow puppets on small, table top stages. While the project was intended to activate Fountain Alley for four nights, two of the nights had to be cancelled due to poor air quality in San Jose.

Visual Storytelling

Art & Design Thinking Camp

July 2018

For more information about my camp week, visit the ADTC website.

Photography by Alliance for Youth Achievement

After school S.T.E.A.M. Workshops

Lee Mathson Middle School

January - June 2018

The Alliance for Youth Achievement partnered with the City Year S.T.E.A.M. after school program at Lee Mathson to bring in the AYA Art Board educators to lead workshops on Wednesdays and Fridays. Lauren lead several workshops, including shadow puppetry, paper microscopes, optical illusion toy making and circuit wand design.

Makerspace Kickoff Holiday Party

Lee Mathson Middle School

December 2017

Photography by Okada Design

Wayang Kulit: Indonesian Shadow Puppetry

Barnes & Noble Mini Maker Faire, San Jose

November 2017

Wayang Kulit is a traditional form of shadowplay found in Indonesia, Java, Bali and Malaysia. Participants were introduced to Wayang Kulit, then invited to create with own rod-controlled shadow puppet. The Alum Rock Youth Leaders assisted them in designing and building their puppets. Then, participants acted out their puppet's story their story on the miniature shadow theater stage.