2 minute read
Modeling Engaged Citizenship
Dwayne Wilson, who has taught art at the Middle School for eight years, has a passion for using the power of art as a tool to help lower-income, minority youth manage and rise above their daily challenges, anxieties, and socioeconomic pressures. Before moving to Charlotte from California, he had extensive experience working with inner-city youth in Los Angeles County schools to create arts programs and projects that fostered creativity, independence, and confidence.
After joining Country Day, Mr. Wilson learned from parent Dianne Bailey about a newly founded organization called The Arts Empowerment Project (TAEP), which collaborates with juvenile justice agencies to make a difference in the lives of Charlotte-area children affected by violence and domestic abuse. “As I came to understand the goals of TAEP and the people it affected, it was a no-brainer for me to become involved,” says Mr. Wilson. “I was offered a position on the board that encompassed my dreams, and more.”
For the past four years, Dwayne Wilson has created murals in the hallways of the Sklut Center, representing courageous figures in American history who have nonviolently stood up against injustices and fought for the rights of the American people.
“The reason this work is so important to me is because I know it is making a difference,” Mr. Wilson continues. “We are utilizing the arts as a creative vessel for healing, personal connection with the surrounding community, and individual expression. These wonderful students inspire me every day.”
Mr. Wilson serves as TAEP’s coordinator for the Youth Advisory Council (YAC), a role that bridges his professional and volunteer worlds. The program gets students from all types of backgrounds in seventh through twelfth grades involved, including from Country Day. Currently more than 40 Upper and Middle School students are YAC members. Volunteer opportunities range from leading art activities at the YWCA’s “Free Arts Fridays” and mentoring kids ages four to eight; creating public art projects, such as a tile mosaic at the Courthouse Building in Uptown Charlotte; attending one monthly YAC meeting; and donating, creating, and distributing “heART Packs” gift boxes of art supplies to Charlottearea youth programs and schools.
“The YAC members collaborate with children of varying ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, and cultures, which provide a cohesive and inclusive environment for everyone to feel safe and confident,” explains Mr. Wilson. “They bring that experience into the Country Day classroom, as well as an understanding of how creative expression allows each and every participant to develop and portray their individuality, without judgment.
Alternatively, Mr. Wilson brings his Country Day experience to TAEP. “The first element is cultural proficiency and inclusivity,” he explains. “Many of the children TAEP serves are of different cultural, social, and economic backgrounds.
Another key element I bring is perspective. I always attempt to see my activities through the eyes of the children creating them, in the hopes they are challenging and fun.”
Mr. Wilson is also involved with Freedom Schools, Communities in Schools, and Brookstone Schools; and is assistant coach for both Country Day’s varsity and Middle School track and field teams, and Middle School cross country team.
