LOWNDES COUNTY, GA — Artwork created by youth in foster care is being placed directly in front of Georgia lawmakers to help shape policy and share the young artists' stories.
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The "See Me: Pieces of Life from Youth in Care" exhibit, led by the Georgia Appleseed Center for Law & Justice, aims to help lawmakers understand the experiences of foster youth.
"We want to take their experiences and bring them to the people who are making the policies and the laws… without them having to repeat their story," Georgia Appleseed’s Director of Development and Engagement said.
In Valdosta, Elton Dixon, a Mentor and Founder of the Enay Coaching Foundation, works directly with youth in foster care to help them turn their experiences into art.
"They know that they will be giving this art to Georgia Appleseed as a way for youth voice to be heard across the state… the stories they share are going to influence policymakers’ mindsets and represent stories of their peers out there," Dixon said.
"It’s not an art contest at all… it’s about the sincerity of sharing a story that’s coming from the heart," Dixon said.
The initiative also provides opportunities for the youth involved. The young artists are commissioned for their work, allowing them to learn financial literacy and gain skills many lack when they age out of foster care at 18.
When the artwork reaches Atlanta, it helps inform how leaders approach their decisions.
"Lawmakers were so grateful because they were able to see and experience these stories in a way they haven’t before… it helped inform how they approached their decisions," the director of development and engagement said.
"More often what we see is that they’re focused on the future… thinking about how they want to give back to the world," the director of development and engagement said.
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