The Crystal, a three-story, glass atrium and entrance to the Akron Art Museum, provided the perfect backdrop for these diamonds in the rough, a coming-of-age collection manifested in the proud work of multi-talented, middle and high school students from Akron participating in a program designed to illicit self-expression through poetry, art and virtual reality.
The gala marked the culmination and celebration of phase one of a language arts project, “Vulnerable Youth: Writing Our Lives,” a collaboration between Kristine Pytash, Ph.D., and Amy Walker, Ph.D., professors in the School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies (TLC), Ruth Edge, a teacher at Summit County Detention Center, Elizabeth’s Bookshop, and Richard Gibson, executive director of Students With a Goal (SWAG), an out-of-school academic mentoring program.
Funded by the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, the program included poetry, art, and virtual reality, allowing Akron students to reflect on who they are and their experiences.
“It was all about community, identity and belonging, said Walker, an assistant professor in TLC. “Who are you, who do you want to be, who do you feel like you are within the community.”
One display rack is devoted to masks of all colors. Walker explained that scholars were tasked with creating double-sided disguises depicting how the world perceives them on the, contrasted with how they see themselves reflected on the inside: an ask that at times resulted in stark differences – a student at the center believes the world sees him as a troublemaker. Comparatively, he sees himself as someone searching for peace.
Other students depicted themselves in things like luggage, colorful carts on wheels, undoubtedly rolling somewhere new and exciting. One photograph in a collection captures a young scholar with virtual reality goggles strapped to his head with hands held high, clenching the controls.
Another illustration could not be bluer. “I don’t know how many layers of blue are in this piece, but this student could not wait to get here so he could add more blue to it,” said Walker. “He said it was really important that it has layers because he has layers.”
Each student selected a piece of writing or art to showcase in a book they received when the program ended.
Professional self-portrait anchors students’ art
In addition to the MHJF grant, the Akron Art Museum hosted the students and invited them to participate in a second grant to commission a self-portrait by a young artist. After a search, the museum settled on New York-based painter Sasha Gordon’s self-portrait titled, “Surrogate Self,” on loan from the Art Bridges gallery in Bentonville, Ark.
SWAG students studied Gorden’s work “Tell Me,” and collectively wrote a poem based on the theme” I am” to reflect identity and self-expression. Less emphasis was placed on teaching art skills. Instead, students were encouraged to express themselves through poetry to foster literary proficiency. Students also created their own self-portraits.
Gordon and the students share an interactive exhibit on the second floor where visitors can create their own poems and hear students reading theirs.
SWAG lifts students, fosters creativity
Preservice teachers from the Middle Childhood Education (MCED) and the Adolescent and Young Adult Education (ADED) programs assisted with the project, and were surprised when they recognized some of the SWAG students from their field work in local schools.
“They said, ‘I know some of these students,’” said Pytash, coordinator of the ADED program. “They are so creative and engaged - something I didn't always see at school.’”
Karlee Adams, ’26, is one of those ADED preservice teachers majoring in Integrated Language Arts. A Wadsworth native, Adams wants to teach middle and high schoolers in English Language Arts.
“Marginalized teens have creative talents, abilities, and desires just like any other student,” said Adams, a senior in the ADED program. “So often, educators and adults focus on ensuring academic success, but it is vital that we also acknowledge and foster the incredible creativity within these students.”
Pytash explained that preservice teachers need opportunities to learn the complexities and nuances of teaching. This experience helped them develop their teaching practices and cultivate a more well-rounded understanding of students. Preservice teachers not only learned how to teach and integrate writing, but they also learned how to implement responsive teaching practices.
Richard Gibson, SWAG’s executive director and a 2020 Kent State graduate with three bachelor’s degrees in psychology, sociology, and Pan-African studies, said youngsters in the impoverished Summit Lake community founded the program seeking safety, change and a sense of purpose.
“SWAG is a cornerstone of youth development and community engagement,” said Gibson. “Students expressed a desire to learn about activism and advocacy, and engage in community projects. One student placed in the top five in a statewide art competition,” said Gibson, who also holds an associate’s degree in general studies from Kent State University.
“We will continue to partner with SWAG and Summit County Juvenile Court to explore writing, art, and digital technologies for self-expression that explores who youth are in their communities,” said Pytash.