restART Studio

restART studio is a Colorado nonprofit that is transforming the lives of disadvantaged youth through the power of art therapy.

Our program empowers disadvantaged youth by fostering personal growth, helping them overcome challenges, and providing the support they need to reach their full potential.

The Need

Too many of our nation’s youth are being criminalized at young ages & getting stuck in a never-ending cycle of the justice system.

Disproportionately, these are disadvantaged & marginalized youth – those living in poverty, BIPOC, and youth who have experienced neglect, abuse, and violence. 

The combination of traumatic and unjust circumstances with the lack of support to process the psychological impacts leads many youth to act out in defensive and ultimately unproductive ways. However, there’s been a lack of capacity to address these behaviors in a healing way.

The “school-to-prison pipeline” is a disturbing national trend wherein youth are funneled out of schools & into the criminal justice system.
         

70% of justice-involved youth have a diagnosable mental health condition.

Court systems and detention facilities are ill-equipped to address the trauma & mental health struggles that bring many youth into contact with the juvenile justice system. 

The typical punitive responses place youth on revolving path with the criminal justice system - one difficult to jump off of; resulting in further traumatization, substance use, and incarceration, in a group that is already at high risk due to their social vulnerabilities.

With your donation, you can join our pursuit to end the school-to-prison pipeline and recidivism cycle.

Our Program

At restART studio, we show that programs leveraging art therapy can effectively help youth heal and begin rebuilding a life that taps into their enormous potential.

We provide weekly 1:1 and small group art therapy free of cost to disadvantaged youth - facilitated by licensed mental health, addiction, and art therapy clinicians.

We encourage youth to learn from their mistakes; 

to understand that they are worthy and valuable.

Our trauma-informed program is designed to work with each youth individually as people with unique talents, interests, and aspirations as well as difficulties, experiences, and trauma. This requires building a relationship based on trust to be able to understand what drives their behavior and leads them to choices that don’t serve their ability to thrive.

restART studio youth receive help to process difficult emotions, increase their ability to express their thoughts and feelings in healthy ways, and gain support in getting on a path towards success, a bright future, and becoming their best selves.

Please read more on our "Art Therapy" tab!

Partnership

We partner with the City of Longmont, CO's youth redirection program (REWiND). This allows us to divert youth away from the court system by providing early intervention & therapeutic support through the use of art therapy. Our program offers youth the opportunity to use art to reflect & learn from their mistakes, instead of strictly receiving punishment for their maladaptive behaviors. 

Testimonials

"[After participating in art therapy], I feel a lot more confident and sure of myself. I'm more self-aware, and I feel like I'm able to make good decisions."
"Before I was in art therapy, I definitely felt lost, but once I had someone to talk to, I felt more comfort and relief about myself."
"[After participating in art therapy], I view myself way differently, with better control of my behaviors."
"[Art therapy] was relaxing and easier to talk with someone while doing an activity I love. I enjoyed the flexibility and options that were available."
"[Art therapy] was helpful. [It] made me calm, more at peace, (and gave me) a better understanding of things."
"[After participating in art therapy], I am more self-aware and feel more care towards myself as a human. I treat myself with respect."
"[Before participating in art therapy], I used to make not-so-good choices, and now I make good ones."
"[Art therapy was helpful by] reconnecting me with my family."
"[Art therapy was helpful because] I had someone to talk to."
"[Art therapy] helped me put in words the things that I spent an enduring time thinking about and suppressing."
"[Art therapy] helped me express my feelings towards others in healthy ways."
"[After participating in art therapy], I view myself as more joyful."
"I am now able to openly talk about issues in my life."
"[Art therapy was helpful because] it was something to do instead of getting into trouble."
"I now know how to better access my emotions."
"[After participating in art therapy], I am able to express myself more than ever."
"[Art therapy helped me] expand my mind and see things in (the) bigger picture."