Illuminating Diversity: A Mural to Share Stories through a Multicultural Lens

Jen Stoops and Ashley Bolling, Parkview High School, Springfield, MO 

Intro 

This project included a 10-Day Artists-in-Residency with Rodrigo Alvarez and Isaac Tapia. These artists worked with students in our English Language Development (ELD) Program to design and paint a 10’x40’ mural, emphasizing the cultural and linguistic diversity of Parkview students both past and present. It will stand as a testament to the importance of diversity and inclusion for years to come. 

Most refugee and immigrant students who enroll at Parkview have little English language fluency. These students are often overlooked and underserved. While some teachers try very hard to give them access and make them feel included, others allow them to sit in silence and confusion. Their everyday lived experience is often one of isolation and frustration. If they could communicate more easily, they would have enhanced opportunities to participate with teachers and peers. This project placed ELD students at the center of something significant and the focus was on celebrating their unique contributions. These students have grit, and they deserve to have representation at Parkview. 

Research shows us that inclusive activities, lessons, and representation has positive benefits and outcomes for ELD students. In the July ReachMyTeach blog post entitled Culturally Responsive and Inclusive Classrooms for ELL Students, the blog notes “Incorporating materials that reflect the diverse backgrounds of our students is a great way to make them feel seen and appreciated” (Culturally responsive and Inclusive Classrooms for Ell Students, 2024). 

Further evidence shows that according to a research Assistant Professor at the HEDCO Institute for Evidence-Based Educational Practice, “Research shows numerous benefits of school belonging on a range of student academic and health outcomes. For example, school belonging has been linked to greater academic achievement, and lower substance use and better mental health among students” (Schweer-Collins, 2024). 

This project included a 10-Day Artists-in-Residency with Rodrigo Alvarez and Isaac Tapia. Artists worked with students in our ELD Program to design and paint a 10’x40’ mural, emphasizing the cultural and linguistic diversity of Parkview students both past and present, and stand as a testament to the importance of diversity and inclusion for years to come.  

This mural was supervised by two artists who are immigrants themselves and could empathize with the students while also demonstrating what their life could become if they persist and keep pushing forward. This collaboration included three main student groups: 67 ELD students, 20 Advanced Art students, and 100 Art Foundations students. 

In late August or early September, students brainstormed ideas for the mural and conveyed their vision to the artists via Zoom. By late September, Rodrigo and Isaac drafted a design based on this input. The design was submitted to administration for feedback and approval. 

On day 1 of the project, resident artists sketched out the design. Throughout the process, they engaged students in discussions about being professional artists, their philosophy, and their experiences as fellow immigrants, and invited students to share their stories, as well. One of the goals of these discussions was to help students incorporate elements of their cultural identities, experiences, and passions into the mural, and therefore into the school community. Days 2-6, students worked alongside the artists color blocking in the mural. Students in art classes were also invited to participate in the project. Days 7-10 included fine details and touch-ups. 

During the process, multiple stakeholders such as members from the SPS Department of Diversity and Inclusion, school board members, and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks visited the mural to discuss the project with the artists and the students. 

Step-by-Step Plan 

Create a group including ELD and Art teachers to facilitate student collaboration. 

Seek approval for mural location and dimensions. 

Reach out to local artists who might be a good fit for the project. Agree on a timeline and budget. 

Seek sources of funding. 

Inform all staff about the artist residency and what to expect.  

Check with teachers close to the location so they are prepared for potential disruptions and invite feedback. 

Secure materials ahead of time and provide a mobile cart for them to use during their stay. 

Prime the wall at the mural location. 

Send artists general information about the building schedule, parking, checking in, etc. 

Make sure front office knows about them arriving and directions for them once they’re there. 

Timeline 

Day 1: Artists settle into the space, map out dimensions, and complete initial sketches. 

Days 2-5: students will work with the artists to block in color. Have small (8-12 oz) lidded containers and 10-15 brushes for students to be able to have their own portions to help. The artists will map out or outline specific shapes for students to fill in and premix colors. 

Days 5-9: ELD students add images to mural while artists are simultaneously adding details to the rest of the mural. 

Materials 

1. Drop cloths 

2. Paint 

3. Brushes 

4. Painter’s Tape 

5. Knee Pads 

6. Chalk Set 

7. Artist invoice for labor 

Sustainability 

In the future, this project can be easily adapted and maintained by anyone who wishes to recreate it with their multilingual students in a way that reflects their unique community. The beauty of art lies in its ability to be reinterpreted—once a concept or technique is shared, others can learn it and create their own version. As more multilingual immigrant and refugee students join schools across the U.S., it's important that these students receive greater representation, not just within the school environment, but also in broader discussions of diversity. My hope is that, through this blueprint and the resources provided, murals that highlight the value and sense of belonging of multilingual students in English-dominant schools will continue to be created and sustained. 

Reflections  

A little note on ELD students 

There are many takeaways from this project. As the ELD Specialist who first thought of this vision years ago, I have had daily contact with multilingual (ML) students. I know them well, and there was something in this process that seemed to confuse them. As a recommendation to future teachers who decide to implement this project, I would recommend the following: Decide how to share student contributions with the artists. In our process, we first began by asking students to draw images of their culture; this then transitioned into “vision boards” which were a lot of the same pictures (just digital) completed and sent to the artists in a single Google Slide. After that, there was an attempt to have the ML students draw on a mock wall (a printout of the wall where the mural would go) what they would want “their” mural as an individual to look like. Finally, we landed on students choosing images from their camera rolls that were then uploaded to a specific Google Drive created to house them. These images were then printed out and placed using an art process within the mural. While the end result was incredible, I could tell that the repetitive nature of building up to what we decided on confused the students. 

Timing is everything 

We also realized that teachers and artists have different requirements when it comes to our time. Where teachers cannot be late, artists' lives are more flexible. Be sure you communicate specifically on timing for classes going down to work on the mural alongside the artists. When allowing for short spurts of class time to participate (we did this in 20-minute sections), having someone run a few minutes behind can make a big difference. Example of our teacher visiting schedule: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DDBy3LqDJgdAPcH42pnQ2-FgGR3otuojzTpUkJww49I/edit?usp=sharing 

The Images Themselves and Being Organized 

If a school or teacher decides to implement a similar project - where students choose images from their identity (family, friends, pictures of “home,” natural landscapes, etc.) and they are being placed inside the mural work itself - make sure that you label the images with the students’ names. We ran into massive confusion printing the entire Google Drive’s worth of images students had submitted. The artists struggled to identify which images belonged to which student. This created two problems: 1) students from similar backgrounds were arguing over who had submitted the images to the folder and 2) those who did not see their images in the pile were disappointed. Organize them first! 

We also had an over-abundance of images from more outspoken students and far less from students who were more introverted. Depending on the number of students you have, it may be helpful to require each ML student to submit a specific amount of images for credit. This way, they all have the same amount, and if the artists feel they need to subtract a few from the overall mural, each student will be required to choose only their favorite images. 

Works Cited 

Culturally responsive and Inclusive Classrooms for Ell Students. ReachMyTeach. (2024, July 26). https://info.reachmyteach.com/blog/culturally-responsive-and-inclusive-classrooms-for-ell-students    

Schweer-Collins, M. (2024, March 28). What strategies can cultivate belonging and inclusion for English learners in schools? What strategies can cultivate belonging and inclusion for English learners in schools? | HEDCO Institute. https://hedcoinstitute.uoregon.edu/blog/10/english-learning-school-belonging