Paint And Pen Pals

“Similar, But Different” is the way Edgewood School second-grade teacher Kim Rogers has described a unique artistic and social collaboration between her class and art students of Tina Menchetti at Chapel Haven, a private non-profit transitioning program serving young adults on the autism spectrum and those with social and developmental disabilities.

The two teachers met last year at the ​“Expanding Literacies, Extended Classrooms” Summer Institute For Teachers at the Yale Center for British Art and were inspired to bring their students together — two groups who on the surface, might appear to have nothing in common. Through their collaborative ​“Paint and Pen Pals” project, participants connected through writing and and art-making activities that culminated in a meet and greet luncheon and celebration at Chapel Haven in late April.

Physical evidence of the extraordinary collaboration is presently on display in an art exhibit at Westville’s Donald Mitchell Library (through May). Lessons learned and relationships forged by the two groups will have a lasting impact beyond the show’s duration. Art teacher Menchetti used part of the exchange to teach her students social skills and appropriate ways of interacting with students much younger in chronological age, while Roger’s students learned about individuals with special needs. ​“There were no snickers or finger pointing. They just accepted it for what it was,” said a proud Rogers about interactions among students when they finally got to meet in person.

One of the projects during the exchange had the 25 Chapel Haven ​“REACH” students send tracings of their open hands in a gesture of appropriate greeting to the 27 second-graders. Participating Edgewood students in turn, superimposed tracings of their own hands onto Reach student hands to complete the illustrated ​“handshakes.” 

The show includes writing samples of students introducing themselves to their ​“New Friend” Paint and Pen Pals and describing things they like to do. In an illustrated version, students drew large body tracings, self-portraits designed to show and tell about themselves. These exuberant images fill a wall of the gallery space along with a 5 by 15 foot mural, an abstract expressionist painting that was created as students listed to music. The only representational images in the mural are two hand prints of the teachers that created and guided the project.

Despite differences of age, size, developmental nuances and life experience, students came to realize their ​“sameness” with common interests that included hobbies, sports, television, foods, and the shared community in which they live. Menchetti said her students were thrilled and touched to friend the youngsters and look forward to visiting Edgewood School before year’s end. After the ​“better than expected” success of their Paint and Pen Pals program, the teachers said they hope to continue the program next year, building bridges of understanding through the mediums of pen, paint, and empathy.