Art in the Garden is OMA Pittsburgh’s first program for youth. Our programming invests in the resiliency and social and emotional well-being of youth. Above all, Art in the Garden seeks to enable youth to grow in their understanding of connectedness to themselves, each other, and our earth. Our programming supports youth knowing—in deep and lasting ways—the interconnectedness of all living beings, and the ways in which we are all whole and all belong.

Art in the Garden focuses on secular mindfulness and emotional well-being through ecology and the arts. A response to the rapid pace of global climate change and the growing anxiety among youth about its effects on their future, Art in the Garden engages youth in a solutions-based approaches. Youth learn regenerative practices needed to help stop and reverse climate change.Art in the Garden supports youth in developing resilience through activities in the arts. As youth engage various weekly themes based on the five core competencies of social and emotional learning, they find that that instead of reacting impulsively they are able to step back and choose how they want to respond, even in difficult situations. The premise is this: when we develop our abilities to care for ourselves, our compassion for ourselves and others grows. As youth create masks, poems, music, sculptures, and mosaics they learn the value of their voices, experience the joy of creation, and celebrate one another. 

Research shows that youth thrive when they can recognize and express their emotions in healthy ways: their emotional intelligence and social skills increase, anxiety and depression decrease, they are less likely to bully others, they have better academic performance, and they have stronger leadership skills. At Art in the Garden, campers develop abilities to identify and process emotions and channel their energies into activities that support their ability to live their fullest expressions of themselves. Our vision is to become a model for best practices in social and emotional learning and in trauma-informed care and resilience. 

Registration priority is given to underserved youth from the neighborhoods we serve. Youth receive free breakfast and lunch. Camp runs from 9-1 for nine weeks this summer (June 24th-August 22nd). Youth will be able to attend camp at the African Healing Garden in Larimer on Mondays or Borland Garden in East Liberty on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. 

Community Partners.

Art in the Garden features workshops with community partners that empower youth to see themselves as creators of positive change. Our 2019 community partners are:

Sankofa Village for the Arts will engage youth through West African musical and performance traditions. Youth will use sound and movement as a tool for regulating emotions, and developing self-esteem, self-discipline, and self-determination.

TOPittsburgh will provide interactive theatre and drama workshops each week, using exercises and games from Theatre of the Oppressed. In Theatre of the Oppressed, developed in the 1970’s by Brazilian theatre director Augusto Boal, participants analyze systems of oppression, share stories of oppression from their own lives, and rehearse strategies to overcome these systems and make positive change in the world. Boal’s approach is across the globe in a variety of fields and contexts, including: politics, therapy, conflict resolution, and education.

The Clay Workshop with ceramic artists Sandra Moore, Shawn Terrell, and Frank McNutt provides the tools and materials for youth to make a series of clay artifacts. Youth learn about a variety of surface treatments such as burnishing, stamps, texture and glaze and the low fire technique, Horsehair Raku. As youth discuss what their clay piece needs to survive the firing, which they do in a kiln built on site, they also have the opportunity to discuss resilience and what they each need in order to thrive in the face of challenges. Building on sequential firings, youth learn to create more durable and better-constructed pieces.  

The Storymobile from Reading is FUNdamental Pittsburgh brings stories, activities, books, and literary resources to Art in the Garden. Each time The Storymobile visits, youth are given a book to expand their home libraries.

SOAR Coaching Academy led by Anita Russell gives youth opportunities to explore their true strength and to dream big. 

Earthen Vessels provides free breakfast and lunch for all of the youth.

Surviving to Thriving Seminars.

Surviving to Thriving training seminars are free and open to the public. Our vision is for Pittsburgh to become a model for best practices in social & emotional learning and in trauma informed care & resilience. In order to support this vision, we at OMA Pittsburgh hold Surviving to Thriving seminars.  Save the dates! Summer 2019 Surviving to Thriving Seminars are Saturdays, June 15th& August 10th. Attendees—educators, administrators, parents, grandparents, and anyone working with youth—will gain an understanding of social, emotional, mental and behavioral health issues and learn necessary skills to support youth. Keynote speakers and workshops teach concrete, actionable holistic skills adults can use to support youth in developing resilience and stronger brain architecture including: developing mindfulness practices, strengthening conflict transformation, fostering supportive relationships with youth, and skills that support youth for development of social and emotional intelligence. Using community collaborative learning sessions, we are developing greater awareness about the needs that exist for healthy youth development and holistic and accessible skills that can support the healthy development of mind, body, and spirit beyond our program in all aspects of their lives.