Thrive Collective’s Magnificent Mural Makeover at PS 9X

April 27, 2023
Tom Campisi
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This post was adapted from the March 2023 edition of the Fordham/NYC CSTAC Community Schools Spotlight e-newsletter.

A complete mural makeover at P.S. 9 in the Fordham Heights neighborhood of the Bronx has been credited with helping to improve school culture and create a welcoming environment at the school.

Partnering with Thrive Collective, P.S. 9 recently completed Phase 2 of a multi-year project to decorate the entire building with murals depicting key figures in the community, including Bronx-born luminaries like Neil deGrasse Tyson and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor; cultural icons like Stan Lee, Rita Moreno, and DJ Kool Herc; as well as a memorial to the school’s beloved late librarian, Ms. Lucy Vigilant-Smith.

This year’s work saw artists Andre Trenier, Jason Naylor, Danielle Mastrion, Jenna Morello, Marthalicia, and Vince Ballentine expand on the mural makeover by transforming the cafeteria around the theme of healthy living.

The murals feature welcoming messages that ensure all students and families feel a sense of belonging, a school environment approach that is heightened by Principal Kinsley Jabouin’s creative use of classroom and office doorways to display empowering quotes and culturally relevant iconography, often designed by the school’s students.

“The physical environment is a school’s silent teacher. When it’s clean, well-lit, and vibrant, it conveys a strong message to students and families that the children are valued, loved, and cared for,” says Principal Jabouin. ’

The murals and inspirational signs support Principal Jabouin’s vision that he shares with his students: “If you can’t see it, you can’t be it.” This commitment goes beyond the artistic displays and is infused into the entire school culture and in each individual classroom, where teachers encourage their students with a “glow and grow” approach that cultivates a positive growth mindset.