Log in Subscribe

Creative ideas for Monticello's future

Mike Vreeland - Reporter / Photographer
Posted 8/15/17

MONTICELLO — What do you get when you challenge seven young people to envision the future of their community? Many creative ideas. The Ethelbert B. Crawford Library in Monticello recently hosted …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Creative ideas for Monticello's future

Posted

MONTICELLO — What do you get when you challenge seven young people to envision the future of their community? Many creative ideas. The Ethelbert B. Crawford Library in Monticello recently hosted public presentations of these ideas.

The summer program through the Center for Workplace Development, which teamed with ENGN Civic Creative Center, was the stimulus for seven Monticello High School Students to explore and develop ideas for the future of Monticello through artistic expression.

One of the students, Josh Gattling, 16, explained, “We are using creativity to make our community better.” His ideas focused on making Monticello a closer community with a basketball court, recreation center, and barbecue area for families and friends to get together and for community members to get to know each other. Gattling also expressed concern for the homeless. His idea for a “Hoops for the Homeless” event was met with much praise. He has already started working out the details to make the event a reality.

Kenny Charles, 16, also focused on helping the homeless. His idea was designing and creating clothing, and for that he had to learn to sew, which he admitted was somewhat difficult.

Chalk sidewalk murals created by Tyler Olivo, 16, depict in a representational way, the difficulties homeless people face and the reactions of the community to them. “How would you feel if you were looked at like this?” was the idea behind his project. He shared his thoughts on what it must feel like to be homeless and how, by treating homeless people with kindness, the community can improve.

“My drawings are about making the invisible people visible,” said Antonio Watkins, 16. “I have a dream to build a program to fund people who are in need. And we can start that by envisioning the North Street Commons together.”

Joseph Evans, 16, explained his poster “Diverse People Together Strengthen Entire Community.” His presentation focused on how a community can have a better future if people support one another. “Any community is like a body; without its components the body can't be whole and function.”

As for job opportunities, Evans said, “It is told many times that ‘we are the future,' so let's help strengthen the future by strengthening the youth.”

Angie Snowden, 15, told a story of a mother and child who had fallen on hard times and with community support were able to rebuild their lives. Her artwork depicted this theme: “When you're feeling you can't do something, you have to have hope or faith.”

Brandon Delorenzo, 17, who plans on pursuing a career as a graphic designer, built a large 3-D model of a community center building. The “M” shape of the building stands for Monticello. His drawings depict the many recreational and educational uses of the building. He expressed that a community would be stronger if older people would listen to the ideas and concerns of younger people more attentively.

Throughout the presentations the speakers shared their ideas of spiritual creativity, the meanings of which came about somewhat organically as they worked on their projects, shared and discussed ideas. As one speaker explained, “Spiritual creativity is thinking outside yourself, and it is a good way to help improve Monticello.”

Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther was impressed by the presentations and invited the group to visit her with their ideas. She shared with them the possibility of grants or capital funds available for community improvement projects like theirs, and importantly, gave the students a means to see their ideas become realities.

Isaac Green Diebboll and Tom Bosket, who ran the summer program and are co-founders of ENGN, whose mission is to build relationships between socially and culturally diverse people through projects, events and curriculum, concluded the presentations with praise for the students, their project ideas to benefit Monticello, and their personal growth as individuals. The creative problem solving skills and collaborative work processes the students learned will be valuable as they seek employment.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here