Art in my food?

Volunteers at Juvenile Hall were feted this evening to thank us all for our contributions. I'm not currently volunteering, but have for the last eight years, until about a month ago. I taught Arts and Crafts to miscreants on all the units so I know lots of kids and have a tool chest of thousands of art activities.

In the meantime, I've put together a proposal that will be under consideration later this week and I'm hopeful that the response will be positive. Instead of offering one activity to an entire housing unit, I'm suggesting that several activities be offered simultaneously on a volunteer basis -- all over dinner!

I'm hoping the kids can learn manga, rubber stamp carving, art journaling, mandala construction and other art activities in a small room away from the kids who really aren't interested and who drag us all down. To top it off I offered a snazzy new title: Art Your Ready for Dinner? to catch the kids' attention and to emphasize that they'll be bringing their food trays into the activity room.

Those in the know have indicated that the proposal is likely to fly, but I can see lots of reasons why it might not -- new sharp objects (to carve rubber stamps), a major change in protocol because everything is scheduled and regimented -- it's Juvenile Hall, after all -- but I'd like to see some creativity and imagination so will stay hopeful until I have reason not to be.

While I'm waiting I'll just draw my sunflower leaves...