Teaching Artist Hugo Rojas and students from Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School have been hard at work investigating how poverty impacts mental health in their community of West Farms, in the South Bronx.
Students recently interviewed their Principal Jeff Palladino, Dr. Michelle Morse and Dr. Michael McRae from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and Monxo Lopez, a museum curator, educator, and founding member of South Bronx Unite. Students also had a special opportunity to interview Meisha Porter, Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education.
Students will conduct several more interviews with other local leaders and community members to get more perspectives on the issue. They’ll then produce a short documentary film with their findings! Check out more of their work here!
This program is organized in collaboration with Wellcome. It is part of Mindscapes͕, Wellcome’s international cultural program about mental health.