For all the good the Covid-19 pandemic brought out in many people, it fostered an awful lot of bad in others—fear, anger, mistrust, blame …
Young people have been especially impacted during this difficult period due to isolation and lack of contact with their peers at a time in their lives when socialization is so crucial to their well-being and development.
In response, PESA developed the County of Heroes educational program and art contest. The program was designed to prompt students to share, explore and celebrate the fact that, while we may have our individual differences, traits and beliefs, deep down we share certain feelings and experiences in common.
Hundreds of students across the Los Angeles Unified School District and beyond were presented with hypothetical scenarios of bullying and stereotyping for open discussion. They then were invited to create artwork exploring and expressing their own feelings about stereotyping, racism and bigotry and submit that work to a contest. The medium was intentionally broad, from illustrations to TikTok videos to songwriting, so as to attract the widest possible participation. Prizes ranged from gift cards to a set of multiday passes to Disneyland.
The results were impressive, and choosing winners was a tough task, indeed. Following are examples of some of the fine work these students created.