Students Create ‘We Are Community’ Mural at 37ECB

Building belonging begins with building community and a new mural at 37ECB reminds students they belong each time they climb the steps inside the school’s City Heights campus.

Centering around words that represent community to the students, it was students at the campus who worked with long-time partner A Reason to Survive (ARTS) to create the beautiful painting.

“Art can really connect to anything. No matter what you are focused on, you can use art to express yourself or do a project like this,” said Zuly, one of the student participants.

The central text "We Are Community" is engraved with maps of the different cities that the students are from or have ancestral ties to. This is surrounded by words the students felt represented them, such as “generous,” “courage,” and “success,” and completed the question “We are…?” The dark background with stars and wisps of color is the universe to these powerful words and represents the world’s interconnectedness.

“This project began as a way for students to define themselves, who they are, and their journey using words to describe their past, present, and future,” said ARTS teacher Sheena Dowling. “The intention was to have it be a way to create their own narrative outside of the systems that have labeled them, and to tell their own stories in their own words.”

The Process

37ECB students Zuly, Louis, Linda, and Perla were selected as interns to participate in the project.

The group began by brainstorming ideas for the overall design. The conceptual elements built into the mural reflect the students' aesthetic choices and lived experiences.

Each student hand-designed a letter that Dowling then laser-printed on wood. The students painted and decorated their letters in their own unique styles, bringing them together to form the word “community” with a map thoughtfully designed inside each letter.

Each laser-cut word that surrounds "We Are Community" was also designed and painted by the students.

“It takes a lot of patience and teamwork and I learned that if I just focus on what is in front of me, it all comes together,” said Louis, a student intern. “I liked being able to look at how the project progressed and enjoyed the flow in watching it all come together.”

A Sense of Pride

Dowling said it was important for her to include the actual handwriting of the students within this piece because handwriting is a personal identifier, and a way to connect to placemaking.

“These students get to see themselves in this piece when they walk by,” she said. “I have already noticed a tremendous amount of pride as they walk past and point out the sections they created.”

ARTS is a community partner organization with a mission to lift young people in the South County region of San Diego to become confident, compassionate, and courageous community builders through the transformative power of creativity.

This is the second mural created at the campus in partnership with ARTS in the last year. A wave and sunshine with the school’s name in bright colors adorn the north wall of the first floor.

Amanda Wallace, VAPA program analyst for JCCS, said the partnership with ARTS is essential to our North Star goal by creating transformational student experiences.

“For many years, A Reason to Survive has worked alongside SDCOE to ensure students have access to meaningful, creative opportunities that center student voice, identity, and lived experience,” Wallace shared. “Together, we have created murals driven by student design and leadership, developed paid internships specifically for our students, and provided consistent access to professional arts spaces through the A Reason to Survive campus. This partnership continues to grow in depth and impact, offering students not only artistic expression, but pathways to skill building, leadership, and creative careers.”