Presenters pose in front of a section of the AMIkids mural project. From left: Charlotte Clark, Michael Parker, Joe Chestnut, Melanie Morrison, Richard Rios and Mike Buffington.
In a special dedication ceremony held Thursday, Feb. 4, an art mural project created by the boys of AMIkids and led by local artist Michael Parker was unveiled in front of a group of invited guests and community leaders.
Melanie Morrison, an AMIkids board member, opened the program with the introduction of guests, followed by a presentation by Michael Parker, who explained his process in creating and executing the artwork with students at the facility.
“These are my boys, the ones who worked on this, and they are the ones close to my heart,” said Parker, who described how the project began with photos of the boys taken in various poses, followed by sketches of the poses, then cutouts in metal of the figures, and finally, the painting process — an operation that spanned most of the 2015 school year.
Speaking at the event were Rick Rios, president of the South Shore Council of the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay; Charlotte Clark, vice president of AMIkids board of directors; Mike Buffington, president of the AMI board; and Joseph Chestnut, AMI executive director.
In attendance were a number of community and civic leaders, including members of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Dept., the SouthShore Chamber of Commerce, and the SouthShore Arts Council.
“It’s projects like these that show these kids they can succeed and make a positive impact in their lives and community,” said AMI Board President Mike Buffington.
“This project is very near and dear to me,” echoed Melanie Morrison, who helped spearhead the project along with the Community Foundation. “It has really brought out the best in some of these kids, and they should be proud to display it [the mural] now at their facility.”
AMIkids is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping youth offenders develop into responsible and productive citizens. For over 45 years, AMIkids has empowered more than 125,000 kids across the country to discover the potential within themselves to transform their lives and send them on the road to success.
Artist and Instructor Michael Parker explains his process with the students at AMI/kids in designing and executing their mural project.
Conceived in 1969 by Judge Frank Orlando, a Juvenile Court Judge in Fort Lauderdale who was frustrated at seeing the same young men come before his court time and again, the program has grown to national proportions. A former camp counselor and teacher, Orlando felt that these boys needed more than to be locked away in order to turn their lives around.
From its early beginnings in Boca Raton, additional programs were added in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Jacksonville. As the organization grew, Associated Marine Institutes (AMI) was formed as a nonprofit organization and residential programs were added. In 2009, AMI became AMIkids, highlighting the core value of putting kids first.
Since then, the organization has evolved into a national, nonprofit leader in providing kids with a troubled past the unique combination of education, behavior modification and treatment in a family atmosphere with caring staff. Each of AMIkids’ programs has a local board of trustees made up of local community leaders who help develop and support their programs.
AMIkids’ mission is to protect public safety and positively impact as many youth as possible by working in partnership with youth agencies, local communities and families. It offers vocational programs in food service, information technology and other areas to help students seek employment or attend college after graduation.
“These kids aren’t criminals. They may have just done something stupid or found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said artist Michael Parker. “This gives them an alternative to incarceration.” According to statistics, 78 percent of AMIkids don’t re-offend within one year, and 71 percent return to school, complete their GEDs, or enter the workforce.
In addition to preparing themselves for a better life through education and vocational development, the students from the Wimauma facility regularly get involved in community projects with the SouthShore Chamber of Commerce.
“Watching these boys get involved in a project that means something to them is the most inspiring thing you can imagine,” said Parker.
AMIkids Y.E.S. is at 4337 Saffold Road in Wimauma. For more information, visit www.amikids.org.
