Teaching skills and making a difference: Students pitch mural ideas to Brookdale Resource Center

Four boys, students with Men About Change, sat around a table with artist and owner of Mama Hawk Draws Erin Hawkins, brainstorming and sketching out ideas that will make people feel good.

"Even if you're in a dark place, hopefully the peace sign makes you feel better," said Jordan, 8thgrader at Weaver Middle School.

The boys were presenting two ideas for a mural that will go up inside of the Hello House at the Brookdale Resource Center. That area is the converted gymnasium providing people who are not ready to go through the full program at the Center with a safe overnight shelter where they can sleep out of the elements.

The first, a blue mural with the words "Stay Strong" and peace sign they designed together.

The second was blue and purple with the words "Hello House" and a peace sign.

"It makes me feel better," said Taquan, 8thgrader at Howard Middle School, when asked why he liked the second design the best. "The colors make you feel like you have hope."

This presentation is part of a six-week program with Mama Hawk Draws that will allow students to paint a mural from start to finish. Prior to this, they re-painted a mural at the entrance of the of the Brookdale Resource Center.

"We walked them through the beginning steps of meeting with the client, then we brainstormed, sketched, pitched to the client, and next week we'll be painting," said Erin Hawkins, owner and founder of Mama Hawk Draws. "A big goal for them is to have soft skills. For them to be able to talk to adults, explain their ideas, tell them how they came up with these ideas, and show them."

The mural installations are funded with a $10,000 Macon Violence Prevention grant from Macon-Bibb County through the Community Foundation of Central Georgia.

"Our goal is they have these soft skills after the program," said Hawkins. "During the program, we're meeting with them after school, and on break. We're keeping them off the street and showing them they can use that time in different and safer ways."

Once the mural has been chosen by Brookdale staff, the students will paint it during Fall break.

"The best part is they will have a sense of ownership when this mural is done," said Hawkins.