Students jazz up Welcome Centre in Milton with typography murals

Halton District School Board (HDSB) students recently used their artistic skills to jazz up the Welcome Centre in Milton in hopes of helping newcomers feel more included.

Multilingual Grade 9 students from Elsie MacGill Secondary School recently helped to design typography murals in different languages to reflect aspects of their cultural identities.

This was done as part of the Welcome Centre’s “Arts to Build Bridges” project, which received a donation from the Halton Learning Foundation.

The design of each mural was inspired by song lyrics in languages including Korean, Urdu, Farsi, Chinese, Turkish, Arabic, and Spanish, with the incorporation of American Sign Language.

“The goal of this activity is to provide newcomer students and families with the opportunity to experience how diversity and inclusion are reflected through art and music in the physical space,” said Eric Keunne, Program Lead, Youth Settlement (K-12) and Equity & Inclusive Education for the HDSB.

“This also helps to reinforce the sense of belonging through the work of different artists from diverse backgrounds. We hope to help our newest members of the HDSB communitysee that we value their identities and that it is through our diversity that we find strength in our communities in Halton.”

Keunne also said that the mural project connects to the Equity and Inclusion and Mental Health and Well-being areas of focus in the HDSB’s 2020-2024 Multi-Year Plan.

“We see firsthand how collaboration amongst students is such a key aspect in designing and working on these creative projects,” he said, adding that the next “Arts to Build Bridges” project will involve staff and students from Abbey Lane Public School and is likely to start in the fall.

Photo: HDSB