“Our youth have high trauma and mental health needs,” Katie said. “It’s hard for them to talk about their trauma sometimes. Expressive arts help them share their feelings, develop communication skills, bond with others, and discover new talents.” From fall 2020 through June 2021, the youth ages 18-24 came together to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion through artistic expression, including poetry, drumming, painting and singing. The projects provided by talented facilitators from the community all led to a month-long celebration for Pride Month, a Juneteenth celebration, and the third anniversary of Vita Nova’s community center, the Spot.

Studies have shown that creativity reduces anxiety, depression, and stress, and it can also help process trauma. Katie witnessed for herself the impact of the arts programs on the youth and how they inspired introspection, resiliency and positive emotions. Painting became a powerful way to share the past, sharing a memory that was too painful to put into words. Poetry provided an opportunity for self-expression, and a community exercise, where youth wrote a poem together, became a moment of unity. Learning how to deliver monologues led to confidence-building. Additional outings to Pride Market at Bryant Park in Lake Worth and a concert sponsored by the Spady Museum at the Arts Garage in Delray Beach for Juneteenth gave the youth additional exposure and opportunities to explore the arts and how they impacted their mental health.