Inspired by the book Rad American Women from A to Z by Shatz & Stahl, Blackburn Alternative High School students used this text as a cross-curricular catalyst for critical thinking. This feminist book created an immersive learning experience to develop a balanced worldview where students were able to explore theories about a balance of power creating less violence, better education, better nourishment, housing and a healthier world.
Students began with the text and then were introduced to rad Omaha women in person or through research. Women and female-identifying persons were selected on the basis of personal connection and social justice achievement. Once the rad women were selected, students wrote narratives and created graphics and works of art. Fabrication of a zine, spray-painted panels, screen-printed posters and large works of sculptural art were created in preparation for a gallery show.
The yearlong Rad Women of Omaha project was a direct collaboration with Blackburn Alternative High, University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Speech-Language students, the UNO Writing Center, the UNO Service Learning Academy and resident artist Kim Darling. In its entirety, this project was showcased at the Omaha Design Center on May 18, 2018, in which students and partners were able to exhibit their art projects, selected Rad Women spoke and performed spoken word, and artworks were for sale. All proceeds from this project go to support Youth Emergency Services.
I began with this project when Service Learning Specialist Cathy Nelson and Art educator Hilary George asked me to come on board in conjunction with artist in residence Kim Darling in hopes to help teach the students how to create a successful graphic for the screenprint featuring the Rad Women portraits. Blackburn students began with a found image of their rad woman and learned photoshop techniques in order to create these cut-out and stamped graphics. From then on, I took and tweaked each portrait and designed the final image for screen-print. 
Being apart of this project was a total unexpected amazing honor in my life. Throughout my career, I thrive off of working with creatives and students on generating content surrounding a large scale concept, all while breaking this idea down into many pieces, allowing the students to think outside of the box. Never did I think a project such as this would become as large scale and successful as this did. I hope to be able to create more content, discussion, and art with a diverse range of people including the students of Blackburn again.
