PREGLED PRIČE

2024

Artful Ash: From Butts to Arts

Gimnazija Leskovac

Srbija

MENTOR

Biljana Pipović

Step 1 OSETI

First, the team members thought of their position in the world and concluded: “We are the citizens of the world and we are lucky as we have most of the privileges this world offers.” Mina Then. they created a new, ideal society in which everything is perfect and every individual is valued, respected, and provided with equal opportunities to thrive. However, the world is not ‘the bed of roses.’ They went outside and recorded a video of what the real world is like. They faced pollution, inequality, injustice... After these introductory activities, the girls brainstormed what bothered them in their environment. The challenges and problems in their environment that they underlined include the presence of homeless people, which is a significant issue in our community. They also face a large number of stray dogs and cats, contributing to animal welfare concerns. Polluted air is another major problem, affecting the health and quality of life of residents. Poverty is widespread, limiting access to basic needs and opportunities. Additionally, there is a lack of effective recycling programs, leading to environmental degradation. Finally, discrimination in various forms, such as gender, age, and socioeconomic, persists, creating inequality and injustice.

The project started in October 2023. A team of ten girls got really enthusiastic about the idea of becoming design thinkers and putting their creativity, will, and kindness into practice. Since design thinking cannot begin without a deeper understanding of the people around us, the project's first phase was about gaining those insights. It started with the activity Walk into My Shoes, then Global Citizens followed, as well as Our Ideal Society, and Reality Strikes. It all ended with What bothers me. The girls worked both in and out of the classroom and in the virtual world – spoke their minds, edited presentations and videos, created collages, and used the application Tricider to brainstorm and vote. After carefully discussing how might they solve the problems they identified, they decided to do something about discrimination. "Stopping discrimination costs absolutely nothing, but we can gain everything from it. For example, a safer and nicer environment. We can prevent it by teaching young children kindness, and how to talk about differences, how judging others based on their appearance is wrong and unfair." Lenka Behind the decision to promote equal rights for all, particularly in the workplace, were many classes of speaking and learning about education, fields of work, prejudices, and stereotypes. This, topped with the topics related to pollution and conservation, led to a unanimous decision to connect with the Association called Naš svet Leskovac, which gathers youth with autism who create art paper from cigarette packs. One team member had read about this association online, informed the rest of the team and the rest was easy – they quickly came up with the plan!

The problem has significantly impacted the mothers and legal guardians of young people with autism. They are particularly concerned about the position of their children in our society. These mothers and guardians feel that inclusion is merely an illusion, as there is no real support and understanding from the local community and their neighbours. Consequently, their children with autism do not genuinely feel like part of the community; they are neither seen nor heard.

Step 2 ZAMISLI

The team members identified discrimination as the problem they can try to solve and brainstormed two solutions that came to mind including connecting with the association Naš svet, which the girls quickly accepted as their chosen solution. There was one other suggestion to visit kindergartens and hold educational workshops to educate little children on the importance of equality. However, when they considered the steps required to implement this idea, they ultimately decided to go with the option of connecting with Naš svet. The final plan included: collecting cigarette packs (by motivating their friends and family members not to throw them into the garbage); contacting the Association and arranging the meeting; going to the Association (which is at the same time the place where the youth with autism work); spending quality time with these young people; promote their work on social media, at school, among the people they know - everywhere and every time, using every opportunity to promote equality, love and understanding (as well as recycling and art).

Since the girls have never had a chance to meet their peers with any kind of physical or mental issues, they wanted to get to know them better, have first-hand experience, spend time with them, and see what their real needs are. This approach was chosen over visiting kindergartens because it offered a more direct and meaningful way to understand and support individuals with autism in our community.

Step 3URADI

Following the plan, the team members contacted the association representative, informed the peers who smoke to start collecting the empty packs, and bought some washable fibre pens to donate. During the visit, the girls learned how to make quality paper from cigarette packs, and what that paper can be used for, talked with the youth employed at the association as well as their assistants about what it looks like to be a young adult with autism in Serbia and what they can do to raise awareness of the problems young people with disabilities face.

The result or impact of our project was significant. By connecting with the association Naš svet, the girls were able to develop a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by their peers with autism. They spent time with them, which helped to build empathy and awareness within our group. This direct interaction allowed them to see firsthand the real needs and concerns of these individuals (and their mothers) and above all understand that they are not different that much! It turned out, they liked the same singers and even sang together! This project not only benefited the individuals with autism but also enriched the girls' perspectives and commitment to social inclusion and equality. Additionally, the girls' efforts helped to foster a sense of inclusion and support within the community, as the girls actively worked to raise awareness and promote understanding among their peers and neighbours. They contacted local newspapers and shared their stories and that's how the school director got to know about their activities. Even though her first reaction was not very positive, when she talked to all the team members and they passionately talked about their experience and the need to do something about discrimination in their environment, the director changed her mind and became open to further ideas and plans the team members have.

16

"We will be talking for a long time, planning and eagerly anticipating the next meeting with the 'English' students from the gymnasium and their teacher Biljana. The children who visited us made us feel that we are not a marginalized and even invisible group. So, THANK YOU FOR SEEING US, for showing humanity and compassion, and for giving us the honour to meet people and children who truly make this world a better and more beautiful place. A WORLD WHERE THERE IS ROOM FOR EVERYONE." Goga Mihajlović, Naš svet representative "I really liked the project idea, as well as its course and results. Spending quality time and socializing with peers with special needs shattered many of my prejudices and doubts. This very beautiful experience showed me that, despite being classified as "people with special needs," their needs and feelings are exactly the same as ours." Lena Zdravković, team member

Actually, there were no real problems. Once the girls decided what they wanted to do, they were totally committed. One challenge that arose was some of their apprehension about communicating with the youth with autism. Since they hadn't previously interacted with individuals who have physical or mental disabilities, they were concerned about potentially making mistakes or not knowing how to behave appropriately. However, once they met the youth with autism and their assistants, feeling their friendship and kindness, the girls overcame this fear and engaged effectively with the youth, ultimately gaining valuable experience and understanding.

15-30 dana

Smanjenje nejednakosti

This project is connected with eliminating inequality in the world by promoting inclusivity and understanding for individuals with special needs. By actively engaging with and learning from people with autism, the girls not only challenged stereotypes and prejudices but also fostered empathy and compassion within their community. Through their efforts, they contributed to breaking down barriers and creating a more inclusive society where everyone, regardless of their abilities or differences, is valued and respected. In doing so, they exemplified a commitment to equality and social justice, demonstrating that small actions can have a significant impact in building a more equitable world for all.

Step 4 PODELI

The Share phase started from the very beginning as the information regarding project activities was posted on English Club, Serbia Instagram profile, and a special Instagram profile named Desing Thinkers, which was created for this purpose. The team members edited many promotional videos during the project and shared them on different social network platforms – Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook both on personal and professional profiles. The story of our project activities was published in local and regional online magazines and newspapers. After reading the news about the visit of the girls to the Naš svet association in the regional online newspapers, the director of the Gymnasium in Leskovac hosted a reception for the team members and listened with interest to the story about the project and the visit. On that occasion, she also accepted a small gift sent to her from the Association as a gesture of goodwill and a desire to continue collaboration. We consider this a significant step as it opens the door to further cooperation between the gymnasium and the association. At her initiative, the news was published on the official Instagram profile of the school. The news was also picked up by an online magazine from Niš. The video clips on Instagram and TikTok have over a thousand views. Many students at the school saw the activity in the schoolyard of the gymnasium (chalk performance), and the pictures were shared on private profiles as well as on the Naš svet Association's Facebook profile with statements of gratitude.

Više od 100 ljudi

The team members hope that the director will be more open to project activities in the future and allow them to implement the plan of holding workshops in kindergartens as well as peer workshops at school so that they can continue to spread positivity and raise awareness thus trying to eliminate inequality. Fighting against all -isms has become their mission.

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