Activities

Casey Kids: The Calendar Connection (pdf)
The 2004 Casey Calendar features artwork created by kids from the Baltimore, Bridgeport and Maryland Divisions

"Building Our World" Conference Exposes Youth to Real World Situations (pdf)
At dynamic conference, 100 teens learn to handle the "real world."

Coffee House and Cabaret Tap Creative Juices (pdf)

"Teens are the Future" Scores a Home Run (pdf)

Dreamscape: More than A Mural

Terry Smith, art therapist, describes how a collaborative project to decorate the Kids' Room in Casey Family Services New Hampshire Office touched people in many different ways:

From a simple idea, "Let's make a mural in the Kids' Room," a project of great scope and meaning was born. This is a story best told by beginning at the end. The end result is a magnificent piece of public art that affirms the coming together of a diverse group of people to express their individual dreams in a unified way.

The tangible result is special in and of itself. The large wall mural is a whimsical, colorful addition to the Kids' Room. It brings comfort and interest to a place where children-and those who care about them-play, learn or relax. The mural has become a source of intrigue for those who see it for the first time or make discoveries in it as they visit it again and again with their eyes.

The creative process that lead up to this vibrant end result was incredible. People worked cooperatively and unselfishly toward two common goals: creating an enchanting vision of colors and shapes and unifying a diverse group of individuals. Every one of this somewhat unlikely crew of artists was encouraged to step up to the plaster and make their unique statement with acrylic paint. Each of the 50 individuals made their mark on this wall, all having the chance to try, succeed and be recognized for their contributions.

The project fostered a striking level of personal satisfaction and group cohesion. Collaboration between where one left off and another began cultivated trust among participants and served to create a delightful blend of ideas. It was the kind of experience teams crave to build in work settings, the kind of learning teachers and students strive for in classrooms, and the kind of understanding people long for in families.

People came together in new and meaningful ways. The unique mix of participants allowed foster children to paint with Casey staff, foster parents, siblings from newly created families, birth brothers and sisters, birth parents and other foster children. It provided an opportunity for foster children to be with birth families, to cultivate relationships with new family members, to recognize that they are not alone in their foster child status and to collaborate on something permanent. The foster child identity fell away while kids were fully engaged in a child-friendly activity: painting.

Human spirit of the highest order was exemplified during this endeavor. Acceptance of every interested person into this project might have proved a daunting task, given the wide range of ages, skills and background, but raw enthusiasm for the project moved each one successfully. Even the efforts to transport people to and from the office to participate in the project were evidence of the collective energy that fueled the work.

The Dreamscape is a powerful statement of care, commitment, determination and sheer enjoyment. It is a collective expression of the dreams of a great diversity of people, each exuding hope that achieving such dreams is possible.

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