La Vida es Arte

Year: 2010
Country: El Salvador
Project Status: Funded
Impact Sector: Education
Project Investment: $498.90

Project Launch:

La Vida Es Arte (Life Is Art) was a project of the Youth Committee in the town of Santa Rosa Guachipilin in which students met up after school to draw, paint, sketch and express themselves in a safe place. Not only did the art classes provide a safe haven for the kids to show their artistic abilities and emotions, but also became a popular social environment. The art classes, supported with a $499 grant from World Connect’s Kids to Kids Program and taught by a Peace Corps Volunteer along with members of the Youth Committee, taught art skills as well as leadership skills by giving members of the Youth Committee the experience of managing and teaching an art class. As part of the program, the Youth Committee and class participants also had the opportunity to be part of a drama group that occasionally performed plays at schools, weddings, and parties, with the goal of educating the public about community challenges and potential solutions. The kids who participated in La Vida Es Arte left the program with many new friends and a different view of the world. The parents of the children who participated in the program couldn’t be happier now that their kids have found a place to feel comfortable expressing their individuality rather than wandering the community streets during their free unstructured time. Noticing the kids’ interest in the program – some children stopped by regularly during their free time, the community decided that more after school activities were necessary and are working on expanding programming.