David Orona was grinning as he turned his silver Nissan Rogue 鈥� filled with donated art supplies 鈥� onto a parking lot at Manuel Jara Elementary School.
A mural of people playing musical instruments on a turquoise background came into view. Students from Fort Worth ISD and Texas Christian University as well as nearby residents painted it.
鈥淲hat do you think, buddy?鈥� Orona asked, beaming with pride.
Orona鈥檚 delight isn鈥檛 just because of what鈥檚 on the wall of the school where he teaches art 鈥� it鈥檚 the meaning behind it: When students from the Fort Worth ISD meet and mingle with volunteers enrolled at TCU and other colleges, they can explore possible opportunities for their future. TCU students benefit from discovering how they can help underserved neighborhoods.
鈥淚t鈥檚 our own little community, you know? It鈥檚 our little extended family, and we鈥檙e all connected,鈥� he said.
To date, the group has painted about 20 murals at schools, community centers and an animal shelter 鈥� all for free.
Orona is a part of a group of five Fort Worth ISD art teachers and three TCU staff members. They鈥檝e been working together for more than a decade. The group has no official name and mostly operates through teachers鈥� connections.
Painting the murals helps the college students connect with the community and build lasting relationships, said Rosangela Boyd, director of service learning and academic initiatives in leadership and student involvement at TCU.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just human beings doing something together for the benefit of others,鈥� Boyd said.
Oftentimes, students from these areas don鈥檛 hear words of encouragement, said Yolanda Darden, an art teacher at Dolores Huerta Elementary and group member. Their parents are busy working, their siblings are studying, and these murals are an opportunity for them to build friendships with other students.
鈥淪ometimes the only kind words they have will be from art teachers who say, 鈥業 like what you did.鈥� It鈥檚 a big deal,鈥� Darden said.
By talking to the community, the children will realize they can go to college, dream big and achieve anything, Orona said.
鈥淔or our kids, it resonates stronger when it comes from someone other than their family because they鈥檙e like, 鈥榃hoa, this person is hearing me, and they鈥檙e trying to understand where I鈥檓 coming from,鈥欌�� he said.
The group paints one to two murals each year, depending on students鈥� availability and planning with the schools. Sometimes, conversations with school administrations can take months as they collaborate on what will be painted on the walls, Orona said.
The members sometimes have to dip into their own pockets, Orona said. Other art teachers participate when they can. The work remains free for the recipients because of donations from nonprofits, charities, spouses, principals and the schools, he said.
After Orona does the initial sketch, team members have their say. He spends a week before painting day to outline the sketch on the wall, and the team sets up stations the day before. Completing a mural takes about a day, sometimes with the help of as many as 500 volunteers.
Murals offer artful interpretations of everything from school subjects and cultural acceptance to words of affirmation.
As the artists get to work, people come and go as they please, Orona said. Sometimes, the streets are closed and, other times, law enforcement blocks a lane to protect painters.
Always, the end result is something to be admired. Principals from other schools 鈥� and even city council members 鈥� have asked Orona about the murals and how he was able to pull them off.
His answer? People really care about their community and its future, he said.
鈥淭he kids are what鈥檚 going to keep the community alive and moving forward,鈥� Orona said.
Dang Le is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at dang.le@fortworthreport.org or via . At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .
This first appeared on and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.