The value in Streetside programming stands out to our Treasure Island site partners. Justin Feliciano, Director of the Treasure Island YMCA, notes “Streetside Stories is our sole arts education partner this year, and we appreciate the structure of Chelsea’s workshop, which focuses on students developing critical thinking skills while diving deeply into their personal lives. Some of the kids we work with experience trauma, and the Streetside workshop provides a safe space where kids can express how they feel. The more they express, the more they understand their own emotions.” Wilnatta Wardsworth, Site Coordinator at the Treasure Island YMCA adds, “Our program is small and intimate - Chelsea and Streetside Stories are a breath of fresh air. At first students thought art would be really hard, but Chelsea makes it accessible, and it’s not as hard as they thought. The class is really fun for our kids - they create video, photography, drawing, and they just love Ms. Chelsea.”
Now finished with their transformation portraits, Chelsea’s students are moving on to new projects that reflect on their identity and feelings about ‘home.’ They’ll learn watercolor techniques and create 3-D houses that mirror how they feel on the inside and out, featuring their art and writing about their community. I can’t wait to see students’ final projects and I’m excited to see what they’ll exhibit at a city-wide youth arts showcase this December.
