Portfolio Introduction
In this portfolio, I have conducted several community development activities in an effort to listen to my neighbors, access barriers, identify community assets and needs, and journey together to create a community initiative that showcases the strong, positive identity of youth from and in Rainier Beach. The project," I AM BEACH", was envisioned after hearing that youth( mainly aged 12-19) are plagued by negative stereotypes based largely on racial and religious profiling. In a survey completed by neighbors, parents, community business owners and community members at large, people reported that youth are affected by issues of not access to food, safe transportation/transportation they can afford and having to care for younger siblings or other family members. Additionally, youth feel that personally they have low expectations for themselves due to pressures on them and lack of resources to develop their potential. Many youth experience profiling that can prohibit them from getting to the places and arenas that they desire to be in. With this is in mind, I AM BEACH, will be completed by youth artists, artist mentors and community members by installing art pieces that exhibit positive identities of youth from Rainier Beach. The project will be documented with video journals that will be made into a documentary and once the art pieces are on display in the community, people will come and view them and interact with pieces by writing short statements of what this art piece conveyed to them about youth of Rainier Beach and/or youth of color in general.
As a youth worker, poet, artist and resident of Rainier Beach, my role is to explore funding opportunities that will allow this project to exist. I invite you to come with us on our journey towards positive identity building; we are more than you think we are, we are more than who we think we are.
As a youth worker, poet, artist and resident of Rainier Beach, my role is to explore funding opportunities that will allow this project to exist. I invite you to come with us on our journey towards positive identity building; we are more than you think we are, we are more than who we think we are.