Art has always helped humanity process and heal from trauma. The collective global trauma caused by COVID-19 is unprecedented. Considering the vital need for real artistic and creative engagement in this time of fear and uncertainty, Thrive Collective—a NY based nonprofit focused on increasing access to arts education in NYC Public Schools—has doubled down on its efforts to ensure access to arts resources for youth in New York City, the center of the epidemic in the US and beyond. During the Coronavirus quarantine, Thrive is offering the following resources to provide educators, students and families with space for creativity.

1. #KindnessBeatsTheVirus Free School Mural Challenge

NYC public school buildings may be closed through June, but this spring participating schools can win a FREE one-of-a-kind school mural. Every NYC Public School that registers as part of “Kindness Beats the Virus” will be eligible to win a FREE mural designed in the days before the quarantine by five students and street art legend Toofly. To register, schools must complete an application here. A one-of-a-kind mural will be awarded to the school that has the highest percentage of enrolled students participating in Thrive’s #KindnessBeatsTheVirus activities. The winning school will be chosen based on the number of public student Instagram posts that utilize both the #KindnessBeatsTheVirus hashtag AND the unique school hashtag included on the registration form.

2. Free Resources catalogued at https://thrivecollective.org/kindness

These resources, designed with students and teaching artists in the days before and since NY’s Stay at Home order, include daily activity prompts, coloring sheets, music producer samples, lesson plans, a promo video, Hashtag challenges, and remote learning classes. Thrive will be adding new materials every week throughout the quarantine. The online resources are available for all schools, students, and families to utilize. A video highlighting this aspect of Thrive’s crisis response can be found below.

• Our #KindnessBeatsTheVirus “Wildstyle Edition” coloring book will be released at the end of April featuring coloring designs from 31 legendary graffiti artists.

3. Art Exhibition

When the quarantine ends, an independent panel of artists will curate students’ public Instagram submissions tagged #KindnessBeatsTheVirus. The top ten submissions will be featured in an upcoming Thrive Collective art exhibition. The top three students will have the opportunity to merchandise their submission as a collaboration with an acclaimed artist and clothing company.

About Thrive Collective

Thrive Collective creates hope and opportunity through arts, sports, and mentoring in and around public schools. Our core programs – Murals, Music, Media, Mentors, and Sports – connect artists, youth workers, and volunteers with local schools as teaching artists, art directors, coaches, and mentors. Thrive collective is a 501(c)(3) organization, and is a licensed New York City vendor with numerous agencies.