An Adopt a Community Program mural
TRUE Skool’s uses urban arts as a tool to engage youth in social justice and humanities education, community service, and civic engagement. The organization’s Theory of Change is that by delivering high quality arts and humanities programming to city of Milwaukee youth, many of whom live in distressed, socio-economic areas, they will have a positive impact on the youth’s cognitive, social and emotional development and overall well being.
TRUE Skool offers 2 programs: the Urban Arts Program & the Adopt a Community/Mural Program.
The Urban Arts Program serves over 250 Milwaukee youth between the ages of 14-19 annually through after-school and in-school programs. The Urban Arts Program provides instruction in art, music and dance through a social justice lens with a focus on community service, civic engagement, and entrepreneurialism. Youth learn about project management, budgeting, signing contracts, and other skills that are necessary to become entrepreneurs and find careers in the creative industries. The program is free to participants, but youth are required to complete 10 hours of community service each session in return.
The Adopt a Community/Mural Program provides youth with opportunities to work with community and political leaders, businesses, and residents to discover the rich resources, cultural makeup, and history of communities they might not ever have previously explored. Youth and adults are provided with community service and volunteer opportunities through clean-ups, illegal graffiti removal, community garden building, yard beautification, and the creation of public art and community murals. All of these activities are offered to businesses and residents in the adopted areas at no cost. The purpose is to create more green space, safer pedestrian walkways, and public art that helps beautify communities, deter vandalism, and educate residents on a specific community’s history. TRUE Skool murals listed on the Milwaukee Mural Map have been created through they Adopt a Community Program.
Visit TRUE Skool at: http://www.trueskool.org