Public Health Meets Public Art at Goulding Chiropractic

After 6.5 weeks, Portland’s Gateway to Opportunity (G2O) program has come to a close and they have an eye-catching new mural to show for it! 

G2O is a summer program that partners local high school students with a host site (Portland Public Health -Tobacco Prevention) to develop career skills and lead a community-focused project. This year, the team’s 5 youth participants worked under the mentorship of Jared Goulette (“The Color Wizard”) to create a mural that promotes clean air and tobacco-free spaces. The mural is located on the side of Goulding Chiropractic at 12 Revere Street and will also feature a QR code to connect onlookers with information about the team, the project, and free public health resources like the Maine QuitLink by using their smartphone.

When asked about their experience creating the mural, students shared: “Our full day with the mural was a huge highlight” and “Great to learn about a unique job…and participate in the process.”

Besides designing and creating the mural, the Portland team participated in career workshops, learned about tobacco prevention, met with community leaders, and volunteered.

On August 27th at 1:00 pm, the Portland-based team will be showcasing the mural they created and will welcome friends, family, community partners, local businesses, and any supporters of youth-led projects to attend this physically distanced, masks-encouraged event. We look forward to viewing and celebrating 2021 Portland G2O’s accomplishments with you! For more information on the event please continue to visit our Portland Public Health Division Facebook Page!