#WhyYouMatter
A public art campaign that heals, empowers, and creates
- 1 question
- 1 camera
- 1000+ students
Promote a positive self-image for students
Originally created as a response by high school art and counseling departments to three great losses at Chelsea High School (Chelsea, MI), this campaign is a proactive, meaningful way to help students build a positive self-image.
Foster self-reflection and discovery
The basic premise of this project is a simple question: "Why do you matter?". We want students to look inside and find their purpose to really examine their positive attributes, the characteristics that make them unique, and the reason why the world is a better place because they are in it.
Capture the moment
Take photographs of students and staff with their #whyyoumatter statements. We launched this campaign at the school-wide level, photographing over 1,000 students and staff, but this project can be done at any scale.
Use public art to create impact
Turn each photograph into an 11X17” poster and hang them around the school for all to see. We lined the walls of nearly every hallway overnight with the help of community volunteers and a highly dedicated student committee.
The next morning, students arrived to find the entire school filled with their faces, their meaningful statements, and those of their peers and teachers.
