Self Esteem in Clay

We gathered for a workshop called Self-Esteem in Clay, led by Yekseny Guerrero. Tables were set with clay and tools ready for sculpting. Yekseny began by introducing the workshop and inviting everyone to reflect on the connection between creativity and self-esteem. As the group settled in, each participant took a moment to introduce themselves.

With clay in hand, participants shaped and molded their ideas into form. The process wasn’t just about technique - it was about expression. When everyone was done, we went around and everyone shared what they had made and why. These reflections led to further conversations about emotions, identity, and the way we express ourselves.

A heartfelt thank you to all who joined us. Your openness, honesty, and willingness to share what each of you are going through made the workshop a meaningful one.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.

Circle Training Day 1 & 2

During our first weekend session of Healing Circle Training, we focused on building trust and strengthening relationships within the group. The session emphasized connection, creativity, and intentional communication.

The group began with introductions and a creative name tag activity, allowing each participant to express themselves through color, symbols, and words that represented who they are. Throughout the session, they participated in a variety of interactive games and team-building activities designed to encourage laughter, collaboration, and comfort within the group. These activities helped break the ice and move forward to the check-in questions, allowing everyone to share how they were feeling upon arrival in the space.

After the group finished, with started opening up the circle into more vulnerable conversations to start training for what a circle looks like.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.

Calm Room: Diamond Painting

This week in the Calm Room, we did diamond painting. The diamond painting consists of different colored gems, and the students had the option to choose any small animal paper to fill with diamonds. It was a quiet activity, and the students were focused on adding each gem one by one.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.

Mentorship 2.0 | Final Session

The final chapter of Mentorship 2.0 was a celebration for our mentees and their accomplishments! The last couple of sessions were about learning, experimenting, being creative, and coming up with a project of their own. For the final session, we celebrated the mentees’ achievements by having a celebratory dinner, followed by showing their final project and presenting it. The mentees went over the challenges and solutions they had come across and their entire journey of Mentorship 2.0.

To our mentees: Adlemy, Mya, Gabi, Keilani, and Saffron, thank you for your time, creativity, and determination. It was great to see each mentee show up and talk about their projects, and being able to see the process from start to finish.

To our Co-leads: Lu’Cretia and Jasmine, thank you for the ways you have shared your knowledge, skills, and wisdom with our mentees. We are forever grateful!

PMSA MHC | Grief Workshop Pt 1 & 2

At PMSA’s Mental Health Club, we welcomed Kaitlyn Macias, who is part of the HAP Foundation. She shared valuable resources on grieving and coping. She guided the students in identifying ways to support themselves and others through loss. Additionally, offering tools and sources of support for navigating difficult emotions. As part of the session, students created grief jars that were about someone they had lost. They wrote down the memories they shared with them and placed it in the grief jars.