Community: I Am 282

PS/MS 282 celebrated the beauty of its school community with the installation of our fourth schoolyard mural in 2014, “Community: I Am 282.”

In February, Principal Magalie Alexis invited students and staff to contribute to the mural’s design. Throughout March and April, students explored ideas related to both identity and community, and generated mural concepts by responding to five basic statements about both their homes and school:

In my school, and in my home:

I see ______________________
I hear ______________________
I taste ______________________
I smell ______________________
I touch______________________

Student responses provided the raw material for the final piece. PS/MS 282 parents, faculty, and middle schools students helped curate ideas and images from hundreds of submissions, which art director Sam Wisneski consolidated into a composite design. Submissions reflected the students’ culture, family traditions, neighborhood customs, favorite foods, games and activities, artistic preferences, and anything else of significance to them:

Original drawings, sculptures, and collages
Photos of family or neighborhood gatherings
Favorite quotes, slogans, or family sayings
A poem or song lyrics
A short story or essay
Anything else that reflects your love for your community.

Beginning in April, students, family members, and community volunteers helped paint the mural under the direction of 20/20’s Mural Team, with additional assistance from PS/MS 282’s faculty, PTA, and the School Leadership Team.