The “Art for Wellness” program at Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles is a 10-week workshop series designed to support youth, aged 6-13, from high-need, low-resource communities across LA County. These workshops are hosted in areas like Southeast LA, South Central, Watts, and Venice, where young people face systemic and generational challenges such as poverty, community and police violence, food insecurity, and housing instability. The program was crafted to help young people navigate the stressors they encounter in their everyday lives—whether at school, at home, or in the community. With many participants living in survival mode, I identified art workshops with a strong emphasis on social-emotional learning to help the youth recognize, understand, and process their emotions. The workshops aimed to cultivate wellness through creative expression, with activities that invited the participants to be more present and connect with their emotional and physical experiences.
Each week of the program introduced a new theme, exploring different aspects of wellness and emotional growth. The workshops included:
- Week 1: Conversation Hearts (Gratitude/Emotional Expression)
- Week 2: Helping Hands (Community/Self Reflection)
- Week 3: Claiming Who I Am (Self Reflection/Self Esteem)
- Week 4: Coat of Arms (Resilience)
- Week 5: Freedom Beads (Values)
- Week 6: Anger Volcanos (Emotional Awareness)
- Week 7: Crowned with Esteem (Self Esteem)
- Week 8: Guardian Jars (Self Awareness/Resilience)
- Week 9: Keeping it Real, From the Cora (Self Reflection/Emotional Identification)
- Week 10: At The Core Community Mural Project (Culmination of Program)
Throughout the 10 weeks, the impact of the workshops was evident. The youth consistently showed excitement and eagerness to participate. There were many moments of laughter and joy, —not just among the youth, but also between the youth and the staff. Participants who might not have otherwise connected found themselves sharing space, experiences, and forming meaningful relationships.
The workshops also highlighted the broader applications of art beyond the sessions. We discussed with participants how art can be a daily tool for expression, reflection, and emotional regulation. Some youth even shared stories about how art plays a role in their cultural traditions, such as storytelling and passing down customs.
Surveys conducted before and after the series showed a shift in the youth’s perception of art as a coping strategy. Initially, more than 20 participants had never considered using art to help them manage difficult situations, while a handful had tried it at least once. The workshops encouraged them to see art as a resource they could turn to in challenging times.
The enthusiasm for the program grew over the 10 weeks, leading to the decision to continue the workshops year-round. The goal is to ensure that all age groups within the community clubhouse can experience the transformative power of the art workshops, with plans to develop new activities for future 10-week series. The “Art for Wellness” program continues to be a vital source of healing and connection for the young people it serves.
