“UpLift Austin Teaches Sustainability and Transforms Austin’s Schools”
Bead It employee Kinsey tells guests how they can help
Last month Sophia and I visited Bead It on SoLa to check out a festival benefiting UpLift Austin, a non-profit that aims to teach youth about sustainable living practices by transforming their educational spaces. The event, held in the BeadIt parking lot, was full of sweet treats for the ears and eyes: bumping music, brightly colored jewelry and vibrant art. After a couple of drinks, we met up with the UpLift Austin crew and learned a little more about the non-profit.
Sophia with UpLift Austin Founder Gina LaMotte
One of the main objective’s of UpLift is to take educational facilities and convert them from glum, demoralizing spaces into nurturing, inspiring environments. Gina LaMotte, founder and executive director of UA [view the interview transcript here], explained the connection between the spaces we socialize in and their impact on our mental and physical health. She has discovered that “children attending impoverished public schools refer to their campuses as ‘prisons’ with their derelict buildings, florescent lights and white cinder block walls. At all of these sites, both staff and residents experience a profoundly dehumanizing message: they are trapped in a cycle of poverty and they are not worthy of beauty, art and nature.” Gina further explained that natural light, plants and specific color schemes have been proven to improve overall health and “enhance student performance in schools and healing rates of patients in hospitals.”
While talking to Gina, I noticed all the smiling faces; our environment was directly effecting our emotions. We couldn’t help but feel energized by the fresh air, gentle breeze, upbeat music and stimulating colors. Had the event taken place in a walled up classroom with poor lighting, we wouldn’t have had as much fun–even if a teacher had put up a few inspirational posters. No wonder grade school was such a bummer! Because I always felt so sick, I spent much of my time in school in the nurse’s office.
The proceeds from the sell of this double-sided necklace made by the gals from Bead It went to fund UpLift Austin
It’s no secret that the American youth are gravely disconnected from nature. It might be said that our present educational system is a breeding ground for people that don’t understand the interdependence between our modern world and nature. Lack of environmental education has, in part, caused the US to be one of the most ecologically reckless nations in the world. UA aims to address the current crisis by filling the void in education. By transforming educational spaces, our youth will learn how to be responsible stewards of the earth now and in the future.
Check out UA! Learn how you can donate or help Uplift Austin.
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