By Gabriella Nurhapy
Each month, Kidsave’s Corporate Mentoring program brings together older youth and mentors for an exciting day of learning and connection. In March, the Pathway to Success program teamed up with volunteers from Boeing to host a heartwarming workshop on creativity, personal development, and learning new skills. The event started off with a session on creating string art, a craft that requires patience and precision.
Despite the intricacy of string arts, the kids were able to work together and showcased their creativity, producing stunning masterpieces. A few girls showcased their innovative spirit by thinking outside the box and utilizing hammer and nails to add unique touches like a heart and a smiley face to the finished string arts.
The participants’ flight into creativity did not end there. After a lunch break with delicious meals, the kids were given time to paint, experiment with colors, and write down their goals as affirmations. The kids showed remarkable painting skills and were pleased with their creations.
When asked about the event, 15-year-old Stas said, “I really like communicating with the Boeing employees. They are very kind, helpful, and tell us new and interesting things. For example, when we had online events with Boeing, they told us about airplanes, how they were created, about quadcopters, how they work. And today I really enjoyed drawing pictures.”
For all the participants, this event served as a much-needed break from the tension and stress of war. Amidst the chaos, everyone was able to relax, enjoy themselves, and engage in fun activities. The immense support the team provided encouraged even the most hesitant children to actively participate in creating art and to overcome their fears of making mistakes. From mastering the intricacies of string art and experimenting with colors, every moment was a discovery of new skills.
Not only did the participants find the event heartwarming, but the volunteers did as well. Maria, a volunteer and the Head of the Resources Department at Boeing Ukraine, said, “I am so happy for our cooperation! It is a great honor for me to participate in socially important initiatives. I was pleasantly surprised by how hard the children worked on the string-art and affirmation paintings. It was not an easy task to wind the threads, but thanks to our joint work, we did it and the result exceeded all expectations. Watching the process of creating the paintings, I realized that each picture is a unique world of a child, filled with interesting colors, a desire to love, feel and bring joy.”
The Mentoring Association staff from ‘Pathway to Success’ and partner, Boeing Ukraine, were very pleased that they were able to create a moment of magic and empowerment for the kids and teenagers that would remain in their hearts forever.
