This summer institute will teach basic social justice concepts through arts-based practices. Participants will integrate all they have learned by working with the featured artist to create an art piece from a social justice framework.

Students collaborate alongside CSU faculty, students, and community educators through team building, intercultural dialogue, and collaboration across differences, nurturing individual and collective voices, and fostering community dialog by emphasizing skills that promote social justice advocacy. In the process they not only learn what a career in the arts through a social justice lens looks and feels like but also how the art fits into their lives and communities by addressing issues of equity, belonging, access, justice, and how the creative process is a part of all of our stories.

This year participants will have the unique opportunity to learn from skilled teachers, from each other, from themselves, and from Kris Mendonça, a Colorado-based Brazilian-USAnian multimedia artist. His work ranges from illustration, comics, murals and animation to dance teaching and drag. He is also a TEDx speaker and a movie maker, exploring themes tackling queer identity, social criticism and self expression.

Experience will include:

• Experience working with CSU faculty and students through art-based practices.
• Expert advice on applying to college, admission requirements, financial aid, housing, and careers
• Certificate of Completion
• Final presentation/exhibition