Unfolding Futures: Claudia Landeen School

The Unfolding Futures initiative aims to foster creativity and mental health awareness by engaging students of Claudia Landeen School in origami crafts and goal-setting activities. According to the “Creating arts and crafting positively predicts subjective wellbeing” article published under the National Library of Medicine, “Creative arts are also associated with improved self-esteem and emotion regulation, and provide a means of authentic self-expression” (Keyes, Helen et al.). We strive to engage students between 2nd and 6th grade within the After School Education and Safety (ASES) program in organized origami crafting with the goal of utilizing crafts as an outlet for their mental health. Alongside mental health, the activity aims to foster creativity and S.M.A.R.T. goal setting by having students write personal goals on a slip of paper and fold them to their desired form. Final origami creations will be displayed in the ASES classrooms and at the completion of the project students will be returned their S.M.A.R.T. goals for reflection. Each student will have a choice of 3 select origami templates with varying difficulties while learning and given freedom to write their own S.M.A.R.T. goals. S.M.A.R.T. goals are goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based. Learning and enforcing S.M.A.R.T. goal setting prepares students for persevering through adversity and developing foresight. The initiative addresses and emphasizes the importance of goal setting and creative expression, ultimately aiming to uplift students’ mental health and mindfulness.