High school students in our after-school programs create and participate in a wide range of creative projects—everything from fashion design to music production to robotics.
But this is the first time they’ve tackled writing, drawing and producing their own comic book.
“The students wanted to do a different type of enrichment,” explains Otha William, FF Banneker Afterschool program manager. “They have taken over the entire project, from putting together a supply list to developing a timeline, to creating the actual comic book itself.”
The students are taking the project very seriously, developing characters and writing an original story. They’re also doing all of the drawing themselves, including templates and storyboards. Otha says some of the students hope to attend Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and plan to include their work on the project in their portfolios.
The students are so motivated by the project that they’re working on it outside of the usual schedule. “Most enrichment projects are designed just as Monday and Thursday after-school activities,” he says. “But these students are meeting in the mornings, working at lunch, even over spring break.”
Eight students—high school juniors and seniors—are working on the project. They’re led by a student artist who has been honored for his artwork. They expect to have the comic finished and printed by early May—and the juniors in the group are already planning a follow-up comic for next year.
“It’s great to see the students this passionate about a project and to enable them to do something they might not have been able to do on their own,” says Otha.
