TAPESTRY “It All Starts With You” Origami Crane, Community Art Project

 The TAPESTRY (Teen Adult Partnership Enhancing Strategies Toward Responsible Youth) Program leads Teen Health and Wellness curricular-based activities in high school Health and Safety classes. The program also puts on a yearly Young Women’s Conference. For the 12^th annual Young Women’s Conference participants, teen leaders, AmeriCorps members and program leaders together developed an Origami Crane Art project. Students from various local schools learned to make origami cranes with a goal of producing 1000 paper cranes. These cranes were taken to the conference as symbols of their teen community. Students, also, wrote intentions and wishes for a healthy future. Conference participants put the cranes and written intentions together, assembling an art project. The goal of 1000 cranes was met. Additionally, young women were asked to record their wishes in answer to the question: what is one wish you have for yourself and other women? The Origami Crane Art project was showcased at the once monthly community event “Arts Alive” at the Gazebo in Old Town, Eureka on June 5, 2010. Students and staff were present at the event to display the cranes, share the audio production and answer questions.