Art from Ashes
Author(s)
GSSW
Communication Team
GSSW in the Field
STUDENT: Jessica Trumbull, MSW program, concentration in children and youth
AGENCY: Art from Ashes, Denver, Colorado
WHAT THEY DO: Art from Ashes is a nonprofit organization that provides creative empowerment workshops for struggling youth in the Denver area. Through poetry and tactile art, youth learn to use metaphor as a tool for processing their own experiences. The workshops seek to foster health and hope through expression, connection and transformation.
STUDENT’S ROLE: As a lead facilitator at Art from Ashes, Trumbull facilitates the youth workshops, tracks data for grants and reporting, and manages and trains other facilitators. She received an offer for a full-time position as program manager.
THE IMPACT: “In these workshops, I get to watch youth share their incredible voices,” Trumbull says. “Many of my workshop participants already experienced trauma in their lives and have learned from those experiences that they don’t matter. It’s an absolute honor to be trusted with their stories, and to watch them transform their lives and perceptions by connecting with their peers.”
