Community Fund Grant Recipient: Colours of Us

Lisa and Veronica, Vancouver, BC 

About Lisa and Veronica:

Lisa and Veronica are teachers and co-leads of the Sexual Orientation Gender Identity Program at an East Vancouver high school. The pandemic has been difficult for teachers and students alike. For teachers, there is an ever present fear of getting sick, while students have increasing mental health concerns. Their hope is to increase morale and the feeling of community through a collaborative art project.

About Colours of Us:

We want to create an atmosphere of diversity and inclusivity at our high school to make everyone feel welcome. Art is a powerful way to help students get involved as allies or members within the LGBTQ+2S community. Colours of Us involves painting a set of lockers with a mural representing rainbow colours, transgender flag colours and an acknowledgment of two spirit people. 

What was your inspiration behind the project?

Lisa & Veronica: "Our inspiration for our project is our Gender and Sexuality Alliance club. This is a group of students who come together to make the school more inclusive and allows for the celebration of what makes you unique.

This year, the GSA has been revitalized and the connections that they have been able to form in this club with like-minded individuals has been so inspirational to see. A lot of our students really rely on Windermere for a sense of community. The project is to represent our intersectional identities and a space for students who walk into our schools every day for the students who walk into school every day to see themselves represented and reflected."

What is your message to the community? 

Lisa & Veronica: "This project hopes to empower students to be creative through collaboration and to represent our community. We see the importance of how visible symbols make a difference in a student’s day to day life."

Learn more about Colours of Us.