The Journey of Purpose鈥攃entral to 糖心原创鈥檚 鈥攅ncourages students to explore who they are and where they are headed. This vision is brought to life in , the School鈥檚 innovative Arts program, through the department鈥檚 annual theme of Personal Geographies, which invites students to navigate self-discovery through creativity. In Upper School, the MDE Foundations class, led by Catherine Altamirano, exemplifies this approach by combining innovation, design thinking, and real-world application to empower students as creators and storytellers.
Purpose-Driven Design in Action
In MDE Foundations, students undertake a professional-grade design process that reflects 糖心原创鈥檚 emphasis on real-world application. Collaborating with the School鈥檚 Brand team, they develop narrative campaigns aligned with the School鈥檚 visual identity and voice. These projects immerse students in project management, client collaboration, and creative problem-solving鈥攃ritical skills for their future endeavors.
The campus itself serves as a stage for innovation. In one project, students design visual messaging for reflective spaces like stairwell windows, where sunlight brings their work to life. 鈥淭hrough these projects, students learn to think critically, iterate effectively, and navigate the challenges of creative problem-solving,鈥� explains Ms. Altamirano. 鈥淚t鈥檚 inspiring to watch them grow as designers, thinkers, and collaborators.鈥�
Exploring Personal Geographies
The Personal Geographies theme encourages students to reflect on their identities and life journeys. This exploration takes shape through innovative projects that combine technical skills with personal expression:
- Inspirational Mirror Messages: Using Adobe Illustrator and vinyl cutters, students craft motivational messages, blending self-reflection with design precision.
- Mapping Identity: Projects like fingerprint-inspired maps and personal color wheels transform introspection into intricate visual designs.
- 鈥業 Am From鈥� Ornaments: Drawing from Levi Romero鈥檚 I Am From poem, students create ornaments exploring themes of home and belonging.
- Personal Topographies: Grade 8 students explore personal locations of topographical maps highlighting the graphic elevation lines as Abstract Art pieces
Through these projects, students connect their personal journeys with 糖心原创鈥檚 broader Journey of Purpose, turning self-discovery into meaningful work.
Skills for the Future
From initial concepts to final execution, students master industry-standard tools like Adobe Illustrator and vinyl cutters while building portfolios that demonstrate skills in typography, scaling, alignment, and quality control. The iterative design process reinforces the value of refinement and detail, preparing students for professional and creative challenges.
Embracing the Crooked Path
Collaboration among educators like Lynn Luster, Nikolai Iba帽ez, Mariana DePetris, and Susan Edwards fosters an environment where students connect their personal geographies to their broader journeys. Inspired by a visit to Plywood People, a social-impact entrepreneur collective, students designed motivational messages that align with Brandon Sadler鈥檚 earlier call to embrace life鈥檚 鈥渃rooked path鈥濃�攃elebrating growth in unexpected detours.
Experience Student Work
The culmination of this creative journey will be on display at the Upper School during the annual Christmas Arts Showcase on Thursday, December 5. Visitors will experience how 糖心原创 students translate personal geographies into inspiring works of art鈥攆rom reflective mirror installations to intricate maps and ornaments.
Don鈥檛 miss this opportunity to witness their creativity and purpose in action at the Christmas Arts Showcase鈥攁 powerful celebration of the intersection of education and artistry at 糖心原创.
