“Identity.” The last unit in Introduction to Art. Art teacher Kimberly Skwira wanted to challenge her students about the way they view themselves and how others viewed them. She started off by presenting the classes with artwork that focused on the idea of identity.

“I deliberately pulled two artworks that were relative to teens today and that sort of set the tone,” Skwira said. “It created a very raw environment but a very safe space at the same time.”

She then told them about their project: “I Am Not.” The students were given four strips of black and white paper and were told to write “I Am Not…” across the paper. They were to anonymously write down ways they felt they were judged or felt personally stereotyped. After they were done, they were supposed to cover the paper or flip it over; Skwira never looked at them.

“We didn’t know who’s was who’s and it was powerful,” Skwira said. “It was really powerful and to see them all down on paper, it was really eye-opening, not only for me but also for them. There was sort of a moment where it was really sad. It was really powerful.”

The following day they conducted a similar project called “I Am.” They were to think of traits about themselves or traits they can’t change, such as heritage or socioeconomic status, and write two down on colored paper. According to Skwira, the students had a much harder time coming up with these. After the project, Skwira is very pleased with the outcome.

“I didn’t realize what kind of positive impact it would have, both of [the projects],” Skwira said. “It would be amazing to do it amongst adults. You know, we talk about equity and FHN community and that’s what I try to do in here. I try to create a community where we all develop a relationship with each other, no matter who we are or what we look like or what our beliefs are. This is their classroom as much as it is mine and I think that really brought us together. It definitely was a better outcome than I expected.”