irieLitART violence prevention project ("irie" in Jamaica -state of feeling great/alright)

 

Purpose:

The Irie LitART Violence Prevention Project is a program that works with children and youth using the arts and literacy to strengthen the participant’s personal voice and opens discourse for other alternative pro-social ways of reducing violence in schools and the greater communities. This program is three-fold:

• To support the fundamental right of a child’s voice in the classroom, community and the world around them;

• To promote literacy through the use of story-telling, rewriting a new story and presenting stories to peers;

• To create a place of safety for the participant to express their feelings using art.

 

Program: 

• Collage/Feeling Journal 

• Animal or Figure 

• Story-telling 

• Closing & Reflection 

 

Outcomes:

In the proposal, it was noted that the program would reach 70 children with a total of 280 visits.  The program served 220 children with a total of 880 visits.  Also included was that 3 people would be trained and 2 communities would be served.  The program trained 23 people and potentially 60 communities will be reached.  The program was also measured the accomplishments and/or successes using a qualitative method of interviewing, case studies and listening to children’s thoughts. 

 

Partners: 

• Boscobel Primary School

• Breadnut Hill Primary School

• Great Shape! Inc.

• Jamaica’s Ministry of Education

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I feel happy because I have a great time and I run and win

because you are great person to teach us how to be a brave person.” Kimberly, 6th grade