By Sahara Lyon

Sabal Palm Elementary is a Community Partnership School, which means they partner with local organizations to provide their students with essential resources, both inside of and outside of education. At Sabal Palm, some partners include FAMU, Children’s Home Society of Florida, and FSU Primary Health, providing students with healthcare, mentoring, counseling, and other valuable resources for Sabal Palm’s student population. One of Sabal Palm’s partners is the Junior League of Tallahassee, an organization whose mission is to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training. This summer, the Junior League partnered with Sabal Palm to fund a mural for the school’s campus, brightening the entryway and integrating art into the built environment. Carla Juarez Farley, President of the Junior League of Tallahassee, stated, “As an organization committed to helping the children in our community flourish, we look forward to this mural igniting imagination and inspiring young minds. We hope that through art, we can help instill a sense of pride and belonging for the students, families, and staff at Sabal Palm Elementary.”

The idea for a mural came from Sabal Palm’s principal, Shannon Davis. Davis noted that when she first started as principal, she walked around the campus and noticed all the white, sterile walls. “It’s very institutionalized when you just see white walls around you,” stated Davis. She didn’t want just any mural. Davis wanted an inspirational mural that would boost campus morale and be representative of the student population she serves. Knowing most Sabal Palm students are students of color, Davis noted, “Students need to see other children that look like them.” Therefore, when the Junior League started its two-year partnership with Sabal Palm, Davis knew a mural project would be part of their partnership.

Davis and her team selected the artists chosen to complete the mural, Sarah and Cosby Painter-Hayes, partly because of their attention to detail in their representative work, perfectly capturing the twinkle in a child’s eye or the light behind a smile. When asked about the design process for the mural, Sarah said, “Our design was inspired by the Junior League’s mission, Sabal Palm’s mission, and creating happy, healthy, and inspired students.” The design features a retro take on Sabal Palm’s school colors (red, white, and blue), representing a young girl throwing a paper airplane. The airplane, while evoking thoughts of play and whimsy, is also a nod to Sabal Palm’s history as an airfield before transforming into an elementary school.

As aforementioned, the Junior League of Tallahassee has a two-year partnership contract with Sabal Palm Elementary. Davis said the Junior League helped her “create a more friendly, inviting learning environment for students.” Some of their partner projects include campus beautification through planting flowers, creating a “Zen Den” for teachers to decompress, and a large-scale mural located at the school entrance. Olivia Buschardt, Community Director for the Junior League of Tallahassee, oversees all the organization’s community projects, including the Sabal Palm mural. Buschardt stated, “We’re seeing the mural as our lasting legacy at Sabal Palm.”

When asked about the importance of arts education for her students, Davis said, “Arts education gives our students not just an outlet to be able to express themselves, but it also inspires them to want to do more.” Davis added, “I couldn’t imagine life without art.” It’s crucial for a student to feel like they’re excelling at something; for many students, that is art. Muralist Sarah agreed and noted, “Arts education isn’t siloed. When you’re learning about art, you’re learning about empathy and self-discovery. It’s community. It’s processing your emotions. Arts education is important for education as a whole.”

Placing a mural front and center on the school’s campus communicates the importance of a well-rounded education for Sabal Palm students while inspiring excellence in what they do. Principal Davis stated, “This is something I’ve wanted for a while… I’m really excited about it.” Davis also reiterated that the mural project would not have been possible without the Junior League, expressing her utmost gratitude for the organization. The mural will be completed just in time for teachers to return to campus on Wednesday, August 2nd, presenting something new, beautiful, and inspiring to get them excited for the new school year.

Check the Tallahassee Democrat at a later date for the full article!