DWSA students create artwork for 'StickTogether' project

Last week, several groups of students at Denzel Washington School of the Arts completed collaborative “StickTogether” projects in the Denzel Washington Library. Students worked on the StickTogether, which replicated Vermeer's painting, "The Girl with the Pearl Earring." StickTogether projects promote mindfulness and positive teamwork. Eighth graders Liliana Oliveras and Anna McKoy were two of the many students who worked on these projects.

The students worked on their project in the library during lunch.

This project promotes social emotional learning and benefits students in a number of ways:

• Creates an opportunity for social connections (combats loneliness and isolation)
• Can be used as a way to gradually foster new relationships (e.g. if a new student joins a group)
• Provides a purpose for interacting socially, which feels safer for more introverted or shy individuals
• Promotes a sense of connectedness by working together towards a shared goal
• As the activity doesn’t require advanced language skills, StickTogether can be used when working with individuals who are unable or do not desire to engage in conversation but want to spend time together
• Provides an easy, relaxed activity for multi-age interaction
• Equalizes relationships and combats stereotypes as everyone participates equally
• Promotes working collaboratively with others, including strategizing about how to divide up the work, learning to share materials/take turns, and learning to manage conflicts
• Provides an opportunity to practice managing emotions
• Provides users with a sense of accomplishment and pride
• Promotes relaxation; is a stress-free activity

Ninth grader Tajza Gunnel with Liliana and Anna