STATEN ISLAND, NY – As you walk from Clove Road to Clove Lakes, a small park called Norbert Leesburg Perennial Gardens near Victory Boulevard, you’ll see Staten Island students from South Richmond High School expressing their views on mental health awareness through a powerful bench mural. The mural will be located in Clove Lakes Park, CEI Benchmarks A citywide exhibition, it is part of the “Youth Setting the Standard for Social Change” program created by the Center for Educational Innovation (CEI) in collaboration with the New York City Parks Department.
“This bench is about mental health, even if things are tough, there’s always a way to bounce back and become stronger. I left the drip there to represent that sometimes life can fall apart,” seventh-grade artist Nicholas Gonzalez said.
Another student, Anya Willis, added: “Mental health can affect our lives. We need to improve our mental health so that we can live a good life in the future and have a clear mindset on what we need to do instead of being in a foggy state.”
The bench mural at Clove Lakes Park is more than just a work of art, it’s a symbol of hope and change. PS/IS 25 South Richmond High School The school is installing benches in 30 New York City parks to host student-created exhibitions, proving the transformative power of art and how it can empower students to speak out on important issues and make a lasting impact on their communities.
