Arts Connect
Arts Connect is a two-stage transitional program for girls aged 11 – 17 who are incarcerated and on probation in Pierce County. Arts Connect supports individual girls and their families as they work together to find ways to live a healthy, sustainable life within the community.
Arts Connect is an intervention and recidivism prevention program developed by the Museum of Glass that enriches the lives of young women who are in detention or on probation in Pierce County, Washington. Arts Connect allows girls to express themselves through the arts, with a focus on how they can use the power of choice and their newly acquired skills to reintegrate into their community.
The purpose of Arts Connect is to help at-risk young women realize their potential, make healthy life choices and become active participants in the community by coupling hands-on arts projects with a team of professional artists and other adult mentors in a Museum environment.
The goals are to reduce violent and anti-social behavior in young women in the juvenile justice system by channeling their creative voices and reconnecting them to the community. Every Friday, incarcerated girls between the ages of 11 - 17 work with a professional artist to use performance, writing and visual arts as an avenue towards healing, to develop critical thinking and positive social skills, and to reconnect to their potential. In a weekly, post-release class at the Museum lead by a professional artist with the help of guest artists and probation officers, girls continue to develop their creative voices with an emphasis on social and professional skills. 
Hands-on projects and related contemporary art works are paired with discussions and writing assignments about identity, social issues and healthy lifestyles. At the completion of each 8-11 week thematic session, girls participate in a public showcase of their art. There they serve as docents and performers, allowing them to experience a range of ways in which their ideas and feelings can educate, inspire and affect the greater community. A healthy, balanced dinner from diverse cuisines is served at each class. Probation officers refer girls to the program as a sentencing or probation requirement and to fulfill mandated community service hours; some also receive school credit, and all can earn $25 Tacoma Mall gift certificates for perfect attendance and responsible, active participation.
Since its inception in 2001, Arts Connect in detention has served over 950 girls in Pierce County Washington; the post-release component at the Museum has helped over 95 girls stay out of jail and find a meaningful, healthy life in the community since it began in Spring 2004.
