“I hope kids will remember that they are not alone … and how important it is to bring something beautiful into the world and share it with others.”
School Based Therapists haven’t been idle during facility closures and isolation. Like many Tanager Place staff members, they’ve been actively pursuing opportunities to remain connected with clients and bridge the gap of mental health resources for the broader community.
Melis Gumusoglu, for instance, is a School Based Therapist at Roosevelt Middle School who finds joy in arts and crafts. For the past several weeks Melis has been producing how-to videos, COVIDeos, that she hopes will give youth the opportunity to create while they isolate.
As Melis explains in the introductory video below, many of the projects she’s highlighted are comprised of items most young people will already have in their homes.
“We can work on these projects together, and we are all in this together,” Melis said.
At a time when so much seems out of our control, simple art projects boost our creativity and provide a sense of personal accomplishment. We create for our own well-being and then can share our work with others, adding to our sense of community belonging and connection.
A list of her COVIDeos to date:
And, if viewers have an idea for a new project — maybe your household has been stockpiling paper towel tubes and is wanting to create something — send them in.
