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It’s the day before the big event. 

Students make last-minute trips to the art room. Final touches with pens and paintbrushes. In the auditorium, a small group gathers to practice reading their poetry out loud, in preparation for the shows on Friday.

Two open houses, where parents, friends, community members and teachers will bear witness to the life experiences of a few dozen teenagers, told through poetry and art. 

It’s impossible not to feel something. 

Marley, 17, describes her painting: Two matches, one burning, one snuffed out. It’s the light and dark of the changing seasons – the promise of spring and the deadness of winter. It’s how she feels every year, waiting for the short, dark days to stretch themselves into the hope of spring – and bring her with them.

“I feel like seasonal depression is a big part of my life,” she said. “When it’s cold and dark, I can’t get outside on my skateboard.”

This is the first year Marley has participated in Vision and Voice, the art therapy program at Joe Foss, an alternative school which supports students at risk of not completing high school. She paints outside of school as a hobby, but she rarely shows her work. The community art show gives her an opportunity to present her work and connect with people through art.

“I hope people can relate to it and somehow can connect in their own way,” she said. “I’m excited to see what people think of it.”

In the auditorium, students step up to a podium and practice reading their poetry. The other poets listen, offer tips on being louder, clearer, when to pause and where to speed up.

Every poem is a history, and every line seems to bring the students back in time – to whatever got them here – and pitch them forward – into whatever happens next. Lines begin to stand out from their work – separately, they’re remarkable, but taken together, they’re astonishing:

“I create as someone who understands the earth, not as a resource, but as a relative.”

“I’m putting my life in God’s hands and giving him my best.”

“I’ve lost so many people, the world feels different now.”

“The past is just the past, a lesson I had to learn. Bridges that I crossed, and the one I had to burn.”

“I was speaking, but nobody was listening.”

After, they gather and talk about why this program matters.

“This gives us a way to share what we’re struggling with, without coming out and saying it,” said Nana, 17, who wrote a poem called “The Rose.”

For Abraham, 17, he hopes to inspire others. “This program gives us a voice when we feel like we don’t have one. It lets people know they aren’t alone.”

Jordan, 17, said the program introduced her to more of her classmates. Ella, also a poet, agrees. “This builds community.”

For Sky, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to write about. “The subject I wrote about, I was embarrassed. But people could relate and it opened my eyes.”

They don’t know what will happen next. Does anyone? 

But Kadren Ocegueda, 26, who graduated from Joe Foss in 2018, can give them a glimpse. She had always dabbled in art, and she showed a piece in the program when she was at the school. Now, she’s a nail artist – fingernails as a tiny canvas for her creativity.

“One of the best things about Joe Foss was the community,” Ocegueda said. “Not everyone learns in the same way, and I was grateful to have time in my day for this.”

Ocegueda describes her high school self as “pretty rebellious.” “I didn’t realize I was sabotaging myself and had friends who weren’t good for me.” She said being part of Joe Foss gave her perspective.

“I wouldn’t be where I am if I didn’t have the chance to come to Joe Foss. I did a complete 180, and I’m very grateful they still have this school here,” Ocegueda said. “If it weren’t for Joe Foss, I wouldn’t have graduated. I wouldn’t have a career. Vision and Voice can actually change someone’s life. It changed mine.”

Not every story ends with inspiration, but every student deserves a chance. That’s one reason people choose to support art therapy through their Donor Advised Funds at the Community Foundation.

“We’re grateful they choose to support this work.” said Patrick Gale, vice president of community investment.

On Friday, the gym filled with former students, teachers and people who cared. Superintendent Jamie Nold addressed the crowd, celebrating 30 years of this program. About 250 students are enrolled in Joe Foss at any given time, and about 30 of them participate in Vision and Voice every year.

“Joe Foss had to change his route to complete his mission, and that was OK,” Nold said. “I encourage you to take the route you need to complete your mission. Keep working toward that destination. Don’t let little detours lead to a dead end.”

Former students offered words of encouragement. Guests left handwritten notes for the students, and a band played. For Janell Mills, a school counselor with Joe Foss, watching the students complete the program and participate in Vision and Voice is meaningful. 

Every student is welcome here. No matter their educational background, or what they have or don’t have,” Mills said. “They may have no credits. They may be single parents. They may be helping their families make ends meet.”

The reasons vary, but the goal is the same: To help students receive a high school diploma. 

“Our premise is that kids can heal by participating,” Mills said. “They can educate adults about what they are going through. And by telling their story, they get to help other people.”

Paintings of a floating balloon, shaped like a heart, and someone walking away. A young woman’s head, leaning down, braids dripping off the canvas. Self-portraits and observations. 

And threaded through all of it is exactly what Mills wants these students to feel: Hope. 

Mills said as students support each other, it might be their first true feeling of community. 

For one poet, the message was clear: “You are not too far gone. You are not a lost cause.”