The MGR Foundation has teamed up with Carnegie Mellon University to offer the Murals program to children in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. Murals will focus on using visual arts, drama, and music/movement to help children deal with the issue of violence in their lives. This spring, Murals will launch in the Philip Murray School, a Pittsburgh Public School located in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. Many of the families attending Philip Murray come from Mount Oliver, St. Clair Village, and the surrounding neighborhoods--areas designated as at-risk due to the high incidence of families living below the poverty level.

Students will explore the issue of violence during our 15-week after-school program. Students will explore their literal and emotional experiences of violence and envision alternatives through visual arts. During the second module, students will investigate cooperation, conflict resolution, empathy, and role playing through drama. Finally, students will focus on emotional expression, cultural sensitivity, and violence in the media through movement and music.