The origins of a local empathy project are as simple and complex as the idea of empathy itself. A conversation between friends became an idea for an event that has grown into a multiyear collaborative project involving three nonprofits and Patagonia middle school students.
The idea started with Cassina Farley, who is an art teacher and director of the Patagonia Creative Arts Association, and India Aubry, who works with Voices from the Border. They were talking about how people need to feel and understand what others are going through. They noted signs of a lack of compassion in the actions of so many people in our country. Aubry called it an “empathy deficit.” The two women pondered whether they could possibly do something to help local youngsters understand and develop more empathy.
Thus, the Empathy Project was conceived.
Farley was hooked on the idea from the beginning. “The first installment of the project we self-funded. I believed at the time when we cooked it up that it was important to move forward regardless of funding,” she recalled.
“I had just seen a compelling movie called ‘White Bird’ that was inspired from true stories of kindness and rescue during WWII. We decided to arrange a showing at the Tin Shed,” Aubry said. “It was all organic.”
They enlisted the help of Kate Peake, the Patagonia middle school English teacher, and Anna Coleman, director of the Patagonia Youth Enrichment Center, or PYEC.
A natural fit
“The Empathy Project is a natural fit with our middle school ELA standards and curriculum,” Peake said, referring to English language arts standards for Arizona students. “The ‘White Bird’ film and book provided new perspectives for students to explore resilience in history and apply it to their own lives while also evaluating the ways authors and artists collaborate to share the human experience.”
The first event came together successfully on Jan. 30 and included a movie with family activities before the showing.
Before the event, Peake introduced “White Bird” in novel and graphic novel form to her middle school students, and also showed them the film. Students had conversations about what the characters went through and what motivated them. After the movie, the students took a field trip to the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center. The museum is dedicated to celebrating the history of Jewish life in Southern Arizona as well as sharing stories of resilience similar to the ones in the movie.
As PYEC director, Coleman readily accepted the offer to be involved.
“Learning how to acknowledge another person’s feelings, struggles and experiences without judging and holding space for one another when needed are key growth points for each of our kids,” she said.
Buttons, hearts, squares
The community activities set up before the film included button-making, decorating hearts with messages for the community, and designing quilt squares. The squares are to become part of Voices from the Border Welcome Quilts, which feature squares created by schoolchildren sharing messages of hope and empathy to asylum-seeking children.
The refreshments along with the hearts were supplied by the PYEC.
“I loved watching the movie attendees decorate the wooden hearts with positive messages to spread out into the community,” Coleman said. “The hearts were a project that we (PYEC) started at the beginning of COVID shutdown, but since we couldn’t gather the youth, they sat in a box until India and I met regarding the Empathy Project.”
Coleman likes the collaboration. “Our PYEC youth have their own personal voices and Caitlyn and I strive hard to hear each message and support, guide, and cultivate it effectively. The Empathy Project aligns with this focus,” she said, referring to Caitlyn Coleman, program coordinator at PYEC.
Plans to expand
Farley plans this first event to be just the beginning, with more activities happening this summer and in the fall.
“I’ve included this new project into our Learning Through the Arts programming. This will join our Art Makers, Club Theater and Summer Art Camp offerings and will add a literacy component back to our programming,” she said.
Peake is enthusiastic about continuing and expanding the project. “This year we included the seventh and eighth (grades) in the project and have potential plans to expand to the sixth next year,” she said.
Coleman also wants to continue working with the project.
“I’m so thankful India and Cassina included the youth center in the project,” she said. “I’ve always enjoyed collaborating with the local organizations and seeing how the whole community benefits, not just the youth. We are honored to be a part of this beautiful project!”
So now comes the hard work of finding funding. Farley is already working on that: She recently submitted a grant to the Patagonia Regional Community Fund seeking funding for the Learning Through the Arts programming, and plans to seek out funding specifically for the Empathy Project.
Each of the collaborators encourages anyone who is interested in supporting the project financially or in any other way to contact the nonprofits involved. They have a mighty task ahead, and it is everyone’s chance to show a bit of empathy.