Les peintures murales dévoilées à l'école de Santa Paula célèbrent l'éducation de la petite enfance
Large black tarps draped the sides of kindergarten classrooms, shrouding two recently painted murals at Glen Elementary Global STEAM Academy in Santa Paula Tuesday morning.
“The murals are meant to develop a discussion about early childhood education,” said Gabino Aguirre, co-chair for the Isabella Project and master of ceremonies of the event. The project is a pilot program with the Ventura County Community Foundation meant to provide childhood development resources for children and their families in the city.
The ceremony, held at 11 a.m. on the lawn in front of the roughly 32-foot-by-10-foot murals, brought in more than 40 people involved in the project and local officials. The school is located on 141 S. Steckel Drive.
Students from fifth and sixth grade classes recited a poem in both Spanish and English during the ceremony, before helping unveil the murals. The crowd mimicked drumroll sounds while a group of students untied the rope holding the tarp, letting it drop and revealing the colorful background.
The first mural depicts monarch butterflies in different stages of their life cycles flying around a lemon tree. Less than 100 feet away, the second mural depicts smiling students gathered around a book surrounded by different scientific symbols.
Both works were made mostly using spray paint by local artist Sergio “Checko” Martinez. He has painted other murals across the city, including one at El Capricho Restaurant and Cantina.
Capping the celebration was a performance by 10-year-old Abril Lopez, who performed a traditional folk dance in the center of a circle formed by attendees of the event. Kindergarteners from the school joined her in the center during her performance.
The dance was meant to showcase the importance of the community rallying around and uplifting children.
“People in the community are meant to drive by and see the mural and talk about it, and through that get the discussion around early childhood education going,” Aguirre said.
The community aspect of the Isabella Project is important to the over 125 members who work on it. The group is comprised of community leaders who work in different organizations around the county.
“They each give their own perspective and input on how best to steer the program and provide high quality early childhood education,” said Vanessa Bechtel, CEO and president of the Ventura County Community Foundation.
There are about 900 children in Santa Paula between ages 3 and 4 and fewer than about one-third of those children can afford early childhood education, Aguirre said.
The Isabella Project would add as many as 150 jobs to support families through childcare, healthcare, mental health and other support services, thereby strengthening the local economy, Bechtel said. Given the state and federal funds for early childhood education, the project aims to build the infrastructure so the money can flow in, she added.
“The Isabella Project will be just another strong example of what Santa Paula can accomplish together,” said Jack Hinojosa, co-chair of the project and CEO of Childhood Development Resources of Ventura County, during the ceremony.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at [email protected].