Spotlight on Reciprocity in Service-Learning

Abstract

Safety protocols for COVID-19 necessitated changes to this action research project. This article describes the theoretical framework of Community-Based Art Education for providing Service-Learning in an art education preparation program during the global pandemic. Art education students joined the local Boys & Girls Club (BGC) and a local community arts center to explore the idea of social justice and intercultural harmony by creating a mural through completely remote means. Eight art education students mentored eight BGC youth during weekly Zoom sessions to complete the 16-panel mural. Participants expressed their perceptions about different aspects of the project during focus group interviews. The installation of the mural in the local library was covered by local media as children and mentors presented the final project.

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Notes on contributors

Maggie Ann Leysath

Maggie Ann Leysath is an Assistant Professor of Art Education whose research is informed by the power of art in community, all educational settings, and lifelong learning. Her teaching career spans two decades of K-12 and higher education experience, in both public and private settings. She actively advocates for leadership from the classroom and the arts as a civil right of all students. Currently, her focus is in the importance of art integration and helping the local Boys & Girls Clubs develop a thriving art program.