An Inspiring Field Trip with San Miguel Elementary 5th Graders

By Jean Hamilton, LMFT, Resilience Consultant

As a Resilience Consultant working in schools for many years, I have had the opportunity to provide support to the adults who work there in a variety of ways. The support I provide is centered around building and strengthening relationships, fostering flexibility, and responding to the needs for young people to be successful in school.

An example of this support, and a highlight for me this school year, was participating in a field trip to the Palo Alto Art Center with a fifth grade class from Sunnyvale’s San Miguel Elementary School. When the teacher needed additional chaperones, I quickly volunteered to help without any expectations for what the day would entail. The entire experience was amazing! I am so glad I was able to be a part of this special day for the San Miguel community that truly illustrates the value of connections and the ripple effect those connections can have.

These field trips all started when a second grade teacher at San Miguel happened to meet the woman in charge of the student art programs at the Palo Alto Art Center because their sons were on the same soccer teams. Both mothers had lots of time to talk, hang out, and learn about each other’s work while watching their sons’ games. As a result of them sitting on the bleachers together, a new relationship was established that would lead to annual field trips to the Art Center.

Because of the pandemic, the Palo Alto Art Center received funding to provide field trips for Title I schools in the area, of which San Miguel is one. This allowed the Art Center to provide bus transportation for students, teachers and volunteer chaperones during visits. Transportation for field trips is a huge expense for many schools, and often means field trips simply cannot happen. The Center also provides art activities for students to participate in when they arrive, and docent-led tours and discussion about art in the gallery. These trips are offered twice a year and each is centered around a theme, which was “GROW” during my visit.

When the fifth graders arrived, they were ushered into the art studio where they were given supplies to make a poster based on a prompt: What would you like to grow in your community? What seed or seeds would you like to plant to grow in your community?

What I witnessed in the art studio was a class of 10 and 11-year-olds completely engaged in creating their own art - their own expressions of what they wanted to grow in their community. Each piece was magnificent, unique, hopeful and inspiring.

The students were asked to put their names on the back and write what they wanted to grow. Some of the seeds they planted in their art included: acceptance, diversity, empathy, happiness, kindness, love, peace, protection, flowers.

I am happy to share photos of the art that was created that day. I hope that they will plant a seed in you for what you want to grow in your community in this New Year and beyond.