The Visit

 

We're excited to uncover the building's potential. Could this be space for an art garden?

I’m so excited about CreateAthon! I know it’s going to be great. It’s hard to believe it is coming up so soon! It has been so great to work with such passionate and motivated people. We had the pleasure of visiting Dalewood Middle to tour and get our design juices flowing. We spoke with the art teacher, Michel Belknap. She is fantastic. With all of its challenges, it is great to see teachers and faculty who are passionate about teaching their students. During our visit, Michel gave us insights on her ideal use of the art space and her hopes for her students. After watching The Lottery and Waiting for Superman, I am much more conscious about the state of our schools.

I was shocked to see some of the challenges in our school systems, even here in Chattanooga. I was fortunate enough to go to a school that I thought wasn’t all that bad. I have learned that it is our responsibility as a community to set an example for our students, to provide them with the education and resources that they deserve. I know it’s cliché to say “the students are our future,” but hey, it’s true. If we all chip in, and show our support for our local schools, we can make a positive impact. That was my ah-ha moment.

Now, I’m geared up and ready for this weekend. I can’t wait to get started, get to know these students and hopefully make a difference in the life of a child. If I’ve done that, I’m satisfied. Let’s do this!

Working Together

Shot of the daily board. Groups make thier plan of action.

 

Planning for all things CreateAthon is underway! All 32 design students, professionals, CreateHere, The Urban League, Hamilton County Schools and local businesses are partnering together for a twenty-four hour design blitz.  Through this, our goal is to motivate our community to make a positive impact in our local schools.  We hope to continue this event each year, with a different school.  A lot of progress has been made in preparing for the event at Dalewood Middle School coming up April 8-9.

How will we get it all done in 24 hours? By working together! It has been interesting keeping all thirty plus people on the same page. We find it works best for the group to divide into teams to conquer each task that arises.  Each team, print, screen and documentation has been working together to gather and prepare our resources.  When each team has reached a conclusion, we gather as a collective group to discuss our progress. We have groups currently discussing a one-sheet to go to community leaders, professionals and businesses, questions we have about the school and its needs, a screen team working on creating an online presence for the school, a method for displaying the students’ artwork and visual data, as well as a documentation team doing just that, documenting all aspects of the process. Each day we’re making a list of creative and logistics “to-do’s” and have been working together to get things done.  We are so excited for the site visit this afternoon and the events to come! Be sure to check back. More updates about the site visit and our progress are coming soon!