May 28, 2015
The Coleman Center for the Arts’ (CCA’s) Youth Action Council (YAC) was pleased to present their inaugural public project, the One Direction Roadside Cleanup and Community Potluck. YAC is a group of students from Sumter Central and Sumter Academy High Schools that have been working with community mentors to articulate their shared values, choose the issues that are important to them, and design a public project to affect change around those issues in Sumter County.
In January of 2015 YAC students began weekly meetings at the CCA. They learned about different examples of projects that contributed to social change and community action, looking at diverse disciplines including art, activism, community organizing, the food movement and civic and community group projects.
YAC then began the process of declaring their own values through a series of group conversations and world cafe style discussions. The most memorable world cafe coincided with a city wide power outage. Students continued their dialogue by candlelight. Three tables of students discussed issues on the national and local level. Mentors listened without intervening, and then reflected back the main currents of the discussion as the whole group continued dialogue on their perspectives.
Once the students had defined their values—unity, kindness, honesty, dedication, genuine openness, awareness, positivity, mutual respect, valuing diverse perspectives, and knowledge—they used a tiered voting method to choose the essential ideas that project proposals would address: community, communication and education.
The first YAC community potluck served as a chance for students to share their ideas with community members and seek feedback on how their values and issues would manifest into a public project. Community members challenged the students to move beyond the feel good veneer of the event. The students stood firmly in their values, responding that they were not naive to the divisions and social realities of Sumter County, but rather saw their own coalition as a foundation from which additional change and action could evolve.
Students spent the remainder of the semester developing project ideas, voting on selections, and planning their proposed project. Students were given a budget of up to $1,000, and worked together to agree on the project development and execution. They researched all necessary materials, solicited donations for the community potluck, and organized social media, logistics, and participation from fellow students.
YAC One Direction from Coleman Center for the Arts on Vimeo.
The One Direction Roadside Cleanup and Community Potluck was a civic and symbolic action that took place between Sumter Academy and Sumter Central on Highway 11. Students met at Sumter Academy and walked with community mentors the two miles of highway between the two schools, picking up trash as they went. Passersby honked and waved as students walked, in one direction, on each side of the road. Nearly 50 bags of trash were collected and left on the shoulder for the Department of Transportation to collect, marking the path between the schools as the group moved on. While One Direction was a civic action to beautify a main thoroughfare between York and Livingston, it was also a symbolic action to represent the action, values and unity of the students.
At the community potluck parents, friends and supporters joined students to hear about their final project, learn more about the process and join in the celebration of the students hard work, fortitude and friendship. After the meal, the night continued with dancing, games and conversation. A good time was had by all.
Thanks to the Alabama State Council on the Arts, ArtPlace America, Thomas Albright, Cameron Phillips, Erik Witherspoon, Sumter Academy, Sumter Central, and all of the parents and students who made YAC possible!