Attitudinal Healing Connection Inc

Since 1995, AHC's award-winning ArtEsteem academic day and after school visual arts and extended arts programming cultivates creative, engaged, and successful children and youth through artistic, social-emotional, and academic standards based skills. The curriculum combines Attitudinal Healing Principles with culturally, academically, and environmentally relevant arts instruction and culminates in an annual student art exhibition. ArtEsteem serves over 2,500 children at an average of fifteen Bay Area school sites during the fiscal year. Among its over 20 awards and recognitions, a sample of what ArtEsteem has received include: 2024 Black History Month Commendation from Alameda County Board of Supervisors, 2019 Community Award from the Oakland Unified School Districts Office of African American Male Achievement, 2016 Best Arts Nonprofit from East Bay Express Best of the East Bay 2016: Arts & Culture Writers Picks, 2012 Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from former Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and 2002/1998/1993 Jampolsky Awards for Exemplary Work in Attitudinal Healing from the International Conference for Attitudinal Healing.

The Oakland Super Heroes Mural Project is a crucial community beautification effort creatively originated and led by Amana Harris, Executive Director of ArtEsteem. Since 2012, ArtEsteem has completed four of five large-scale (approximately 12,000 sq. ft. of concrete space) murals in the I-580 freeway underpasses between San Pablo Avenue and West Street in West Oakland. Using the theme of super (s)hero characters that embody the students image and use special powers to address our communitys deepest concerns, the murals were designed by elementary, middle, and high school students in District 3 schools and included community participation in the design and painting process. The first of the five murals was conceptually designed by students from McClymonds High School. The second was conceptually designed by students from Westlake Middle School, the third by students from West Oakland Middle School, the fourth by students from Hoover Elementary, and the fifth by students in ArtEsteems Oakland Legacy Project after-school program. All schools and students involved were engaged in the Self as Super Hero process, a curriculum developed by Executive Director Harris.