Circle Round the School
Circle Round the School is a summer arts enrichment program which serves at-risk youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. Circle Round the School is based in one of the poorest counties in southern Ohio, where nearly 60% of the children and their families live at or below the national poverty level.
The children are introduced to various forms of art, including collaborative arts studios (film, theater and cooking) and individual expression arts studios (ceramics, paining, collage and typograhpy). The goal remains to help children develop creative skills, improve their self-esteem, and foster friendships and group interaction through the creative process of making art. The program is based on four principles: Learn, Create, Accomplish, and be Recognized.
Since 2009 I have held many roles with the organization: resident filmmaker, instructor, photographer, and during my last summer director of collaborative arts. These are a few of the images and film projects from my five summers spent with the children of Nelsonville, Ohio.
