THE SERVICE BOARD: REVERSE MEMORIALS
OOH. Cannes Outdoor Lions shortlist.
BACKGROUND The Service Board mentors teens to conquer personal and cultural challenges through public service and outdoor adventure. It was created when a young snowboarder lost his life in a drug-related murder and communty members came together to provide at-risk kids a program that allowed them to understand the true meaning of community.
CHALLENGE
Raise awareness for the program with a budget of $0.
IDEA
Instead of celebrating lives only after they’d been lost to tragedy, we created reverse memorials to celebrate the lives of kids who’d turned their lives around and were no longer on a dangerous path.
OOH. Cannes Outdoor Lions shortlist.
BACKGROUND The Service Board mentors teens to conquer personal and cultural challenges through public service and outdoor adventure. It was created when a young snowboarder lost his life in a drug-related murder and communty members came together to provide at-risk kids a program that allowed them to understand the true meaning of community.
CHALLENGE
Raise awareness for the program with a budget of $0.
IDEA
Instead of celebrating lives only after they’d been lost to tragedy, we created reverse memorials to celebrate the lives of kids who’d turned their lives around and were no longer on a dangerous path.
MEMORIALS The memorials were covered by local news stations, spreading awareness well beyond the street corners.
Each Service Board member wrote and illustrated their own poster.
Remembering Chiloe B-C. 1991- .
For finding the courage to turn her life around. In high school Chiloe moved back to Chile with her family for a year. It was there that, years before, her grandfather had been tortured and exiled under a brutal dictatorship. Upon returning to the U.S., culture shock and alienation hit her hard. As she struggled with a history of sexual abuse and adjusting to her new surroundings, she began skipping classes with friends to drink alcohol in the school restroom. After months of heavy drinking, Chiloe was recommended to the Service Board program. She learned to deal with her personal turmoil in a safe, protected environment. Now she’s free to look towards the future, instead of the past, as she pursues her passion for the visual arts.
Remembering Ally Clark. 1989- .
For still being alive. If she wasn’t sitting around at home, Ally was out walking around - and causing trouble. By 13, she was in the juvenile system and on probation. She refused to trust anyone. Then she found mentors at the Service Board. After the six months in the program she’s gone from getting into trouble to getting things done. Things like completing the criteria to get her record clean, reconnecting with her father and starting to believe in herself while trusting others.
Remembering Ella. 1991- .
For turning a challenging situation into community service. Before landing in Seattle, Ella had spent most of her youth hopping from shelter to shelter with her mother and three younger siblings. One day her mom brought her a Service Board t-shirt she picked up from a thrift shop. Ella hasn’t been the same since. She applied for the program in high school and her life of hardship was transformed into a world of snowboarding, music and community service. Now she’s working for an organization that’s creating more fit and healthy communities.
