Advocacy for Community Engagement and Raising Awareness
Interactive Storytelling – Feel the Bars, Fill the Gap
We have prepared an unfinished artwork that will be completed by visitors and other participants. The artwork is based on true stories of children whose parents have been incarcerated and are collected through our contact with families with parental incarcerated experience. The purpose of the project is “community engagement” to build empathy with children of incarcerated parents.
Interactive Storytelling — Leaves and Stories
Leaves, which children of incarcerated parents collected during summer camp, tell stories of “leaves and absentees.” During the exhibition of the artworks made with leaves, participants write their thoughts and feelings about them. They then listen to the stories behind each craft, which represent the effects of parental incarceration on children such as stigma and shame. This project is part of our “raising awareness” project to engage community members to be supportive sources for families of incarcerated parents.
Opera Nova educates adults and children in its local community by producing 3 to 4 operatic productions each year.
Children of incarcerated parents lack a voice of their own. Our work gives them a voice in the community, schools, and in their family.
Education and Skill Building Workshops
Workshop for Teachers
This workshop is designed to address the needs of public or private schools in helping their teachers to understand the effects of parental incarceration on children so they can support these families as children are prepared to attend school. This program could be given to all teachers as well as children of all ages.
Workshop to Rehabilitation
COIPI’s LCSW-facilitated peer coaching model is designed to offer a series of short, highly focused meetings in which each participant has dedicated time to work on his or her real-life goals or challenges. Members exchange useful coaching and materials to produce action and reflection. Each member takes relevant and realistic actions between meetings. Parents and caregivers improve their knowledge, skills and abilities to care for their children.