Clear Creek Middle School class of 2029 leaves a legacy of joy and belonging

A generational learning project turned into a powerful statement on empowerment 

Clear Creek Middle School has a beautiful new mural thanks to their eighth graders and teacher Lindsay King. 

Over one hundred and fifty students have worked on the mural with King and the guest artist. Students have been included in every step of the process. The outlet has allowed them to spend meaningful time together and support one another. 

“It's a bonding experience because even if you aren’t in the mural, you still get to paint your friends and have a good time,” said CCMS eighth grader Rebekah Gallagher. “I feel like it's brought us closer as a class getting to do this as a whole.” 

To kick off the project, King asked students to connect with an elder from their family or community to teach them something they know how to do, such as a hobby or skill. They wrote about their experiences and included photos. King then used the photos to build the mural design. 

The mural features a grandfather teaching a student how to change the car’s oil, a grandmother teaching a student how to cook chicharróns, and a father showing his student how to play the guitar. 

King created other figures from photos of her students doing something that brought them joy. Some scenes include a student playing the cello, a student practicing soccer, and three students enjoying hanging out together.

The project has given students the opportunity to learn more about their peers. They’ve shared about their families, interests, and dreams. Students have felt comfortable opening up to each other. 

“A lot of us have learned about different things that we didn’t know each other could do,” said Gallagher. “Like I knew Luna could play the cello, but I didn’t think a lot of people knew.” 

“It was cool to see her and their stories behind it.”

Gallagher was thrilled to help tell the story of her classmates, even though she doesn’t appear in the mural.  They have all learned the power of telling each other’s stories. In addition, they’ve begun to recognize the importance of all their talents and passions. 

“My purpose is to show off how much beauty there is in our students and how many gifts they bring to our community,” said King. “I am in front of my students every day saying ‘I am so lucky’ like students are so brilliant, beautiful, and special, and the world just has no idea.” 

“So this is kind of showing that, I hope.” 

Gresham Outdoor Public Art, a nonprofit organization that brings publicly accessible art to the city, donated $6,000 for the project. In addition to the supplies, the funding also paid for a guest artist, Sa’rah Farahat, to lead students and bring the vision to life. 

When discussing the legacy of her class, Gallagher noted: “If I have kids or even if my friends have kids we can bring them back and be like hey that was me who painted it or that was me when I was younger” 

The mural includes a dedication– “From the Class of 2029” that will finalize their gift to their school. 

As they progress in their education, the mural will remind all students that their gifts make our community beautiful and that we value them.