Katelyn Durst

Final Theory Paper

ARTS 545
09/09/2016

Something Inside So Strong: Strengthening Teens Identity Through Community Arts

Something Inside So Strong or the motivational song is something scholars sing every morning
at Freedom Schools at Rainier Beach High School. The songs speaks of overcoming obstacles
and fighting for your true individuality to rise despite the pressures of the world. This song uses
words to speak life and renewal into the scholars perspective of self. It was in this spirit that I
created the curriculum My Education Matters.I have been working at Rainier Beach High
School(RBHS) for two years as part of a team who works directly with youth within the spheres
of self-improvement, leadership, academic and social support. RBHS being a predominantly
African-American school, themes around black lives matter arose within the school.Last
summer, we very much talked about the injustice of our school lacking the resources it needs due
to never receiving any real updates in infrastructure, except anything athletic related, since it was
built in 1948. This makes RBHS the only school in the whole Seattle Public School District that
has not been through a revitalization project. Recently, I met with administrators at Dunlap
Elementary school, where many of RBHS scholars attended, about a mural on their school and
they informed me that the mural itself was in need of a face lift. I visioned the idea of scholars
from RBHS working on this project and an effort to further see how they can impact their
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Rainier Beach neighborhood for the better as well as work on school restoration projects because
the issue with RBHS is so near to their hearts.

The curriculumMy Education Matters hits right at the heart of the developmental stage Erik
Erikson called Identity vs Role Confusion. Each of the art modalities taught through this
curriculum can help scholars develop positive identity within their person. This will help build
scholars explore who they are and possible roles they could fill in the future. While the
curriculum focuses on some of the negative things about Rainier Beach, like not having an
updated school, overall the curriculum aims to build a more positive perspective of the
neighborhood through mural making which will develop ownership within each scholar. From
the beginning of the curriculum, the art making is identity focused. The dictation poem is on the
theme of how people react when someone realizes that youre from Rainier Beach. The poem
will help them express both negative and positive reactions theyve experienced as well as their
vision for what the future of RB might look like. Additionally, the mural making and event
planning element of the curriculum builds self esteem because scholars are forced into a scenario
where they are taking on leadership roles that they may have never experienced before.

Maslows hierarchy of needs is a key component in making this curriculum become effective as
more than just something you leave in a classroom. My strategy to empower scholars to reach
self actualization through the development of creativity is to provide them with a safe space to
discuss the issues that plague their school, community and lives and to create art that counteracts
those issues. Theres a big reputation of Rainier Beach that says, of if youre from here, then you

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must not be headed anywhere. My strategy is to turn that reputation on its head and to use the
scholars voices and creativity to do so. I think in order for self actualization to be accomplished,
the scholars have to buy into the message that I am selling, which is if you want to prove that
your life matters and your education matters, stand up for that. I think it is important to set very
high expectations for scholars because way too often teachers or other adults in their lives set the
bar way too low. Teachers do this often because they are burnt out or assume the scholars cannot
live up to their expectations. I have seen it all the time with students of color especially, getting
the special treatment. When you set expectations and provide safety as well as encouragement,
scholars show up. Thats why 50 Rainier Beach scholars ages 12-15 were able to march for free
public transportation for all children on free and reduced lunch in Seattle and saw that bill pass
through City of Seattle this winter. But I digress, I just believe that the expectations we set for
our scholars need to be higher, they can become community artists, community leaders and
community visionaries with the support of a few positive adults who believe in the glimmer of
hope.

My theoretical and theological position on creativity and play is that they are inseparably linked
to each other. Play allows one to open up to their surroundings in a refreshed way and empowers
one to adventure into the unknown. In the same way, creativity is an exploration into new ideas
and concepts often based on how one sees the world. Often times our society wants to pin point
certain people as being more creative than others but that could only be the case because that
other person was encouraged to be creative their whole life. In order to set up a curriculum that
involves both play and creativity, it was important to me to develop a safe space for all scholars
to create, have fun and develop into community leaders. I also believe in setting up a classroom
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in order for scholars to experience what they would be learning. I would call the classroom the
art studio and welcome them in by saying ,We are all artists, creators, storytellers and have the
ability to change our community with our own unique vision and voice. Opening rituals,such as
describe how youre feeling based on random objects given to you in a ziplock bag, provide
opportunity to explore found objects in a non-threatening way which was also playful and
creative because scholars were expected to come up with something based on what was in front
of them. Lessons such as dictation poems and mural making allow for opportunity to step into
an art form many of the scholars may have never experienced prior.Because I believe in what
Nolan called , making sure they know you are there with them on the edge; in that you
are committed to a total playinhabited mindset. I would be right there with them in each
activity, learning and growing, showing them that I am here for them throughout this process.

Scholars at RBHS have a lot of pressure as to where they invest their identity. Allowing them to
build their identity through a curriculum like My Education Matters will empower them to
build a stronger, more positive view of self as well as strengthening the community around them
by revitalizing a mural and being part of community activism project that will help the Rainier
Beach residents defend their need for an updated school building. At the end of this project,
scholars will feel their voice is powerful because they will be able to look around and see the
updated mural and community event that they rallied on their own efforts and will most likely
think to themselves, wow, I did this myself, there indeed must be something inside so strong.

References
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"Erikson's Identity vs Role Confusion in Adolescent Development." N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Aug.
2016.
"Lesson 8: Nature and Importance of Play." Sign in - Google Accounts. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Aug.
2016.
"Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs." Simply Psychology. N.p., 17 Sept. 2007. Web. 09 Aug. 2016.

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