It's Our Money

Name of Your Organization:

ArtsConnection

Overview of the Project - Please provide a brief description of the project.

As the Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) Statement of Needs rightly reports, a common issue brought up by New York City teens regarded mental health and the added stress that came as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As one anonymous teen in the report suggests, group therapy may offer an environment that addresses mental health issues and relieves stress.

As alumni of various ArtsConnection Teen Programs (which offer an array of out-of-school programs for arts-interested public school students that teach us to elevate our voices, ideas and prepare us for leadership), we believe that through the intersection of creative expression and verbal communication we can tackle some of the hardships teens are facing regarding their mental health and state of mind. Our project, Hues of Healing, will consist of four group art therapy sessions in May*. These sessions will be hosted in an outdoor area in Elmhurst, Queens (a priority neighborhood disproportionately impacted by COVID-19) for the students of its 3 middle schools and 7 high schools. In addition to these sessions, we will create a pamphlet of accessible mental health resources to help both teens and parents. Our pamphlet will be distributed throughout Elmhurst schools and community-based organizations and will also be available in digital formats.

Through this opportunity, the Elmhurst teens served by Hues of Healing will learn to explore their feelings and improve their mental health through art and communication. We believe there is a price to cover the costs for these meetings, but we also understand that an increased sense of self-awareness and relief, especially during times of COVID-19, is priceless.

(*Due to Zoom burnout we prefer to organize in-person sessions that follow all COVID-19 meeting protocols but we will have a remote contingency plan.)

Which of the following issues does your project address?

1. Issue 1 - Addressing Mental Health
2. Issue 2 - Preparation for College and/or Career
3. Issue 3 - Youth Advocacy Promotion

Issue 1 - Addressing Mental Health

Youth Engagement - Please explain how you will engage youth in the planning and implementation of the project.

Reaching out to Elmhurst area schools, through emails, flyers and posters we will connect with teens who are looking for the safe space that we intend to provide with Hues of Healing. Our planning team is currently composed of five NYC teens under the age of 18 who understand the unprecedented mental health issues facing our peers. To create a more meaningful and authentic experience however, Hues of Healing will create 2-3 paid internships for Elmhurst teens (PN interns) to join us in planning our art therapy sessions and designing our pamphlets. Not only will this ensure that the teen voices and needs of Elmhurst are prioritized but it will also expose more teens to the city’s participatory budgeting process and empower them to advocate for their needs.

Budget - Your total project budget must equal $20,000 to be placed on the ballot for a youth vote. Please provide a brief description of what the funds would be used for to successfully implement your project. You will also need to download, fill in, and attach a full budget using this template.

Hues of Healing has two main components, a series of in-person art therapy sessions that follow COVID meeting guidelines and restrictions and a pamphlet of accessible mental health resources for both teens and parents. We are allocating different parts of our budget for these components. First, we are covering the rental costs for a space near Queens Center Mall, where our meetings will take place; the art therapist fee; a graphic designer who will create all collateral materials including posters, flyers, and the mental health resource pamphlet. Additionally, to ensure that all teen participants can attend, we are allocating part of the budget for a transportation stipend in the form of Metro Cards.

Timeline- Please describe the timeline for the implementation and completion of the project. All work for this project must be completed by June 30, 2021, which is the end of the city’s fiscal year and the deadline for the funds to be spent.

Beginning in February, we intend to contact schools, community-based organizations, art therapists, and graphic designers. Additionally, we will create and distribute the PN internship applications as well as compile a list of mental health resources for the pamphlet. In March, we will recruit 2-3 PN interns, finalize the content and design of all printed materials and advertisements, and begin printing. In April, we’ll begin our advertising campaign on social media and within Elmhurst while finalizing all agreements and contracts for the events in May. We will reconcile all our accounts, reflect on Hues of Healing and write our CEC report in June.

Project Activity Alignment - How does your project align with at least one of the following topics:

1. Leadership skills development: organizing & advocacy trainings
2. Stewardship of public spaces: public parks, transportation, etc.
3. Youth and student engagement
4. Civic education and advocacy
5. Community outreach involving residents that have been historically underrepresented in or underserved by city government and its processes

Youth and student engagement

What is your organization's area of focus?

1. Children and youth related
2. Advocacy and organizing
3. Arts and culture
4. Civic engagement
5. Education and literacy
6. Emergency management and disaster response
7. Employment and workforce development
8. Environment and sustainability
9. Faith-based
10. Food access
11. Health and medicine
12. Homelessness and/or affordable housing
13. Human rights
14. Human services
15. Immigrants and/or refugees
16. Justice related
17. Legal services
18. People with disabilities
19. Senior services
20. Women's issues

Children and youth related + arts and culture

Affirmations - Type \"YES\" below each statement to affirm that you are eligible to appear on the ballot for this process.

I confirm that my organization will be registered in the NYC Payee Information Portal and in PassPort, NYC’s online procurement system, in order to receive funding from the City of New York.

Yes

I confirm that my organization is able to front the costs of implementing this project. Organizations will be paid based on deliverables. 

Yes

Completion of Deliverables: I understand all deliverables must be completed by June 30th, 2021.

Yes

I understand a condition of funding includes submission of a final report upon project completion, and participating in a debrief session with the CEC.

Yes