Art program for homeless children demonstrates power of education
Editor’s Note: This article is written by one of our Phillips scholars, reporting on her summer project experience.
Liz McCreary with children participating in her Art for Artists program
I’m Liz McCreary from the quaint little town of Loveland, Colo. I’m a rising senior at the fabulous Macalester College, geography major, and Phillips Scholar. Six scholars are selected each year for this two-year program that focuses on community service. During our second summer we do a self-designed service project to address unmet needs in Minnesota communities.
My summer project, Art for Artists, addresses the creative needs of the children of The Family Place, the only day shelter for homeless families in the Twin Cities. The purpose of my program is to expose the children at the shelter to a variety of types of art through personal exploration and contact with local artists. On a larger scale, I want my program to inspire community dialogue relating to issues of homelessness and for the children to gain confidence in their own abilities.
To do this, I’ve been providing a cycle of weekly art activities and field trips. Overall, the program has been very rewarding but not without its challenges. Some of the challenges relate to what I’ve read about in my classes concerning homelessness: a system with so many rules the clients feel powerless, a disconnect behind big ideas and actual implementation, a lack of services that help the clients in the long-term and too many band-aid fixes that only last a month or two. The Family Place is doing what it can within its means and is providing some wonderful services, but the problems are larger than this shelter.
I have had an insider’s view of the current system and policies that address homelessness, and I am not particularly impressed with what I’ve seen. There is a disconnect between policymakers and their homeless constituents that is costing everyone a lot of money. They need to back up and examine why people are homeless. Sometimes it’s because of outrageous medical expenses or serious drug and alcohol issues. Others were born into homelessness and cannot escape it. Whatever the cause, there should be more focus on prevention than on treatment.
For me, the saddest thing is to see how the children are affected. We do what we can during the day, but for these kids homelessness isn’t a nine to five deal; it’s 24/7. Homelessness manifests itself in every part of the kids lives and I can see how far behind it puts them academically, emotionally, mentally and behaviorally.
My time in the shelter has strengthened my belief in the power of education as an exit to homelessness. Margaret Lovejoy, executive director of The Family Place, agrees. “Education is key to the growth and stability of the children and a means out of the cycle.” The kids love learning and they want to learn so badly but they lack support and are scared of failure. Thankfully, I have seen that art allows for differences in ability without being threatening and has created a doorway to get them excited about learning. When the kids are excited, they are willing to try new things, take risks, use their imaginations and build confidence in themselves. These are important first steps in breaking the cycle of homelessness because they need to believe they deserve better and they have the ability to make things better. Creating this excitement is not an easy task, but it’s one that the kids inspire you to take on. They deserve so much more; they just need someone to believe in them.
These children are worth fighting for and I’m proud to say my part of the battle has just begun. I hope to take some time to reflect upon this summer during the upcoming academic year and prepare a list of policy recommendations for city and county legislators as well as an art program portfolio for The Family Place. In the long term, I’d like to teach in inner-city schools and work to inspire all kids to learn. I thank the Phillips Family for this opportunity and their support of this scholarship program that helps carry on their legacy of service to others.
If you have questions or comments about my program or would like to volunteer your time or services, please contact me at emccreary@macalester.edu.
Postscript: McCreary was recently awarded a Carter Academic Service Entrepreneur grant by the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Partnership Foundation. See article.