Juanita Sanchez Educational Complex: A Legacy of Art, Advocacy, and Education

The Juanita Sanchez Educational Complex (JSEC) in Providence, Rhode Island, stands as a testament to the power of community, advocacy, and the transformative potential of education. Named after Juanita Sánchez, a dedicated social worker and activist, the school embodies her commitment to serving the Latino community and promoting access to healthcare and education. This article explores the history of JSEC, highlighting its unique arts program, its role in the community, and the challenges it has faced.

Juanita Sánchez: A Champion for the Latino Community

Juanita Sánchez (died 1992) was an American social worker and social activist in Providence, Rhode Island. Sánchez was a health care outreach worker at the Allen Berry Health Center in Providence. In her role, she improved Latino immigrants' access to healthcare and education in Rhode Island. Sánchez was a "strong driving force in the informal organization of the Latino community during the 1970s and 80s", according to Nuestras Raices Latino Oral History Project of Rhode Island. In 1993, The Juanita Sánchez Community Fund was created at the Rhode Island Foundation. It was the first community endowed fund for Latinos in Rhode Island. In 2004, a high school in Providence was named Juanita Sánchez Educational Complex. It is the only school building in Rhode Island to be named after a Latina. 85 percent of students at the school are eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch.

A Hub for Arts and Social Justice

In fall 2017, Providence, R.I.’s Juanita Sanchez Educational Complex launched an ongoing project of making art that amplifies student voices and speaks to social justice themes. The JSEC Arts Program, led by artist and 25-year teaching veteran Susan Garland, experimented with different art forms but kept coming back to the power of murals. In just a short time, mural-making became a school tradition. JSEC is now literally illuminated by the vision of Garland’s students - home to dazzling hallway art that speaks to students’ experiences and beliefs around social justice, including liberation, personal growth, healing, empowerment, anti-colonialism and, Garland notes, “even some mystical realms.” The JSEC artists were honored in January 2021 with an exhibit sponsored by the University of Rhode Island Providence Campus Gallery: “Speaking Out - a Call to Action: The Art of Protest - Agents of Change in Rhode Island.” The murals illustrate the importance of a well-rounded, joyful education for Providence students.

The Genesis of Mural-Making

This project has its roots at the first school I worked at, Oliver Hazard Perry Middle School. On my first day, the principal said to me, “The good news is that you’ll have a classroom. The bad news is there are no materials and no furniture.” But the school had just been given a donation of latex indoor paint from a hardware store. And they’d also just put some science tables in the dumpster. These were extremely heavy oak science tables from the 1920s, when the school was built. They had 80 years of pretty cool graffiti carved into them, and they were long and way too narrow for modern usage, but they were ours. I decided my classes would redo them and make them works of art. This included days of sanding by hand and then applying wood filler to the deepest grooves of graffiti. We went on to paint murals, walls, just about anything. The joke at Perry was that if you stood in my classroom long enough, you’d eventually be painted.

When I first came to JSEC, 20 years ago, the building was new - so over the years, whoever was principal at the time would always tell me we couldn’t paint the walls. Eventually, I just stopped asking. But I felt deeply sad about it. Mural-making is something kids love so much. Then, four years ago, we received an Arts Talk grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. As we were deciding on the focus of our Arts Talk grant, our assistant principal, Ariana Testa, asked me why we never painted murals because she really wanted to work in a school that was more colorful. She thought I’d never considered painting the drab walls. I told her about the history, and how happy I’d be for my classes to have the chance to do murals! In a way, her question revitalized my career as an art teacher.

At the beginning of our Arts Talk mural project, my classes had the privilege of working with our incredible local artist, Christopher Johnson, a spoken-word artist and playwright. His poetry and plays are about social justice and race in America. Working with Christopher, students dug deep into some rigorous racial justice learning, culminating in a hallway gallery of showstopping murals.

The Creative Process: From Words to Murals

Our approach starts by homing in on specific social justice themes, and specific words. Then we bring those words and concepts into our visual artwork. By starting with words and evolving into murals, students get to think about how words become symbols. Students use a process of inquiry to help understand how to decode words and put the meaning back into the painting.

Examples of Murals and Their Meanings

"The Buoyancy of Black Joy": My student Jaleel Addison was inspired by the initial intense, challenging class discussions with Mr. Johnson about the important societal roles and responsibilities of Black artists, and also by the excitement over the movie Black Panther, which had just come out. Jaleel’s creative fire was lit. Over the next couple of years, in his free time, he would regularly stop by the art studio to draw and chat. We’d always get back to his first hallway mural, which featured a quote from Black Panther’s Killmonger: “Bury me in the ocean where my ancestors jumped from ships, because they knew death was better than bondage.”
Jaleel wanted to bring his original work to the next level. This past summer, when we were finally allowed back into our school building to paint at a social distance, he came back and created a masterpiece. It had taken some time though. We processed and strategized, and Jaleel sketched and sketched. Meanwhile, some sobering events played out on the national stage, such as the racial injustice that has always plagued this country finally getting mainstream attention. Locally, there was a controversy about children of color receiving free swim lessons in Providence. [Drowning rates are higher among populations of color, and the New York Times recently ran an article urging renewed attention to water safety for children.]
In the midst of all that, the worst tragedy happened. One of our own beloved JSEC students died in a drowning accident. We grieved hard.

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As an artist, Jaleel was able to take all that pain and transmute it. The new version still uses Killmonger’s quote as a starting point. The ancestors, from the ocean floor, hold the mural up for future generations. [The ancestors refer to Jason deCaires Taylor’s underwater sculpture off the Grenada coast, “Vicissitudes,” which some have interpreted as a tribute to the 1 million Africans who died on the Middle Passage from Africa to the Americas on slave ships.]
In the mural, the ancestors are grounding today’s youth, while also lifting them up by sending liberating energy. The playfully swimming kids are protected and nourished by this golden aura. It gives them power and allows them to take their rightful place, so that we can know that our youth will swim us free.
"Trauma": My student Cindy Giron and her team wanted to look at not just injustice but liberation. [The mural reads, “Trauma creates changes you don’t choose. Healing is about creating change you do choose.”] She wanted to say, “All of us have trauma. We have the power to make a choice toward healing.” People don’t realize yet the reverberations this pandemic will have through the years. Trauma-informed professional development is really needed. JSEC has been open all year, but attendance has been very down, sometimes only one student in class. Kids disappear and then come in crying. They don’t know how to talk about what they’ve suffered. We need a lot of work, and understanding, and making sure we’re open and inviting, for students to come back. Otherwise, they’ll get lost. We saw this in non-COVID times. Now that trust is even more important.
"Viva La Libertad de Puerto Rico": It was done by a student, Evel Bernardi, who just finished his senior year with another fantastic mural. He was then in the 10th grade. The mural was conceptualized around what was happening in Puerto Rico, not just the hurricane and recovery, but also the issue of self-determination, and the idea that people in Puerto Rico have the choice. He was very aware of the debate on Puerto Rican statehood, his family talked about it a lot. He wanted to make a statement of strength, the strength of his people. That mural is underneath a window, and when the sun shines, it sparkles.
The Multicolored Face: It was painted by Kevin Negron, a student who was simultaneously doing a program at the Rhode Island School of Design through Project Open Door, which opened his eyes to a whole new world of making art. This image came to him, and he felt it was really important. He wouldn’t put words to it. He wanted to trust that his viewers would take their own explanation. As you can see, there are stitches on the face in the mural. He is saying that there are guys out there in pieces having to stitch themselves back together, men of color specifically. They are out there, scarred but beautiful.

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"Girl Power": The students wanted to honor courageous women, and they picked the women’s names themselves. What I love about that one, is that there are names you might know, such as Harriet Tubman and Wilma Mankiller, alongside names you might not know [such as Petra Herrera, who dressed as a man to fight in the Mexican Revolution, marshalling a 400-strong all-female fighting corps, or the Public Universal Friend, a nonbinary, nonconformist preacher who was a key figure in colonial New England during the First Great Awakening]. Now that the mural is there, as different students come through, we’ll see new names added.

When they’re done, there’s a celebratory energy but also a reflective energy. It’s almost like they’re a little bit not sure. They’ve just put themselves out there in such a huge way. For many students, it’s the first time they’ve done that. They’ve made something that will be seen by generations to come. There’s almost a moment of “Oh whoa, what did I just do?” So for some students, they have that moment of trepidation. Now, all of a sudden, they have ownership of this message that their younger brothers and sisters will see, potentially their own kids will see.

Challenges and Advocacy

Sadly, this lesson seems to be lost on leaders of the state takeover of the Providence schools, which began in November 2019. They have already cut a 20-year-old dance program at JSEC, closed two middle school libraries and “consolidated out” drama class at Nathan Bishop Middle School, replacing it with a computer science elective over parent and student protests.

The impending closure of a small Rhode Island high school has prompted some rare pushback: Spanish-speaking families have brought a federal class-action lawsuit against the Providence Public School District, Providence School Board, state Department of Education and state education commissioner under the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974. With an argument that traces a direct line back to Brown vs. Typically, the act is invoked after a denial of guaranteed services. But these plaintiffs are bringing a case to preserve a school that they say already meets their needs. Attorney Jennifer Wood, director of the Rhode Island Center for Justice, said the act codified in law that schools must remove barriers for English learners and their parents. The act was based on the Supreme Court’s ruling in a 1973 case called Lau vs.

In February, Providence district leaders, under state oversight, unexpectedly announced that 360 was slated for a “merger” at the end of the academic year. District and state leaders said closing 360 would benefit its students by providing them access to programs Juanita Sanchez runs through partnerships with the state Department of Health, alongside internships and research opportunities with local industry collaborators, labs and hospitals. They cited 360’s 16% dropout rate, 75% graduation rate and 1.5% math and 8.2% English proficiency scores. “I have to make some very tough decisions,” Superintendent Javier Montañez said at a City Council meeting. But 360’s families and staff were not convinced.

In a district where students choose their high school at the end of eighth grade, 360’s families specifically selected the school in part due to its reputation for supporting English learners. Hundreds of alumni, parents, teachers, staff and students attended meetings of the school board, City Council, state Education Department and state legislative committees to plead for the closure decision to be reversed. There were protests and rallies. Some meetings required overflow rooms and were so crowded that police were called. At one meeting, 360 senior Michael Isom said, “They didn’t let me speak and they didn’t let my mother speak. Still, community members advocated wherever they could be heard.

Plaintiffs Mejia, Ysaura Mezón, Maria Pirir and Juan Cruz Estevez told Wood their experiences at 360 High School were far better than those at other schools in the district. They were also concerned about their children’s safety at other schools, citing fears that they wouldn’t be told if something went wrong or that communication wouldn’t be conducted in a language they understood. And they worried that students hadn’t been given adequate transition planning for shifting over to the new school. Juanita Sanchez, the lawsuit says, has been classified as chronically low-performing for 13 years, about a decade longer than 360. And while only 6% of 360’s English learners met growth targets on standardized assessments, Wood said families fear they will not receive a stronger education elsewhere.

On June 6, Chief Judge John McConnell of the United States District Court of Rhode Island denied a motion by the defendants for summary judgment and ordered that the parties enter an expedited discovery process. After that, he will rule on the preliminary injunction. But the end of the school year would not mean the end of the lawsuit. If a preliminary injunction is granted after June 24, the school closure will still be halted until the court decides the case. Displaced 360 teachers and administrators, including some who have taken jobs at other district schools, would need to be reinstated, and student placements would need to be adjusted.

Enhancing Learning Spaces and Opportunities

Brown Deputy Librarian Nora Dimmock said that by investing in school libraries, the goal is to strengthen reading and writing proficiency, enhance critical thinking, and expand digital literacy and research skills among Providence students. “Libraries are spaces of learning that we often take for granted, yet literacy and reading comprehension are the fundamental building blocks for academic success and lifelong learning,” Dimmock said. “Reading develops critical thinking, exposes students to new ideas and introduces them to different cultures and perspectives - and, for many, it’s a source of joy.”

With support from Brown’s recent Fund for the Education of the Children of Providence disbursements, seven PPSD libraries have undergone significant renovations in the last year. Improvements range from new study areas and upgraded technology to comfortable seating and dedicated reading nooks. Kelly Clifton, Brown’s head of library community engagement, said the enhancements were thoughtfully developed in collaboration with each school. “We began by visiting each school, learning directly from librarians about their goals and how we could support the unique needs of each community,” Clifton said. “Libraries aren’t just for studying - some students even spend lunch there instead of the cafeteria. Creating environments to support these varied uses was something we approached with care.”

To cultivate creativity and exploration, Classical High School is enhancing its ongoing library renovations this winter with a makerspace, supported by Brown. The space will provide teens with tools and materials for STEM projects, including a Raspberry PI starter kit for computer science, a smart TV for interactive learning, and a Cricut cutting machine for crafting. Separately, E-Cubed Academy has completed a major renovation, transforming its library into a flexible, modern learning commons with new tables, chairs and bookshelves. At Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School, Assistant Principal Judy D’Antuono has realized a long-held dream of revitalizing the school library. She described the library’s former setup as outdated. Tables with oversized monitors occupied valuable space, and tall bookshelves blocked sightlines from the circulation desk, making it difficult to oversee students. The layout left little room for flexible learning or collaboration, which limited student engagement, she said. “The library wasn’t a very inviting space for students to come and read or work,” D’Antuono said. “They could certainly use it for those purposes, but the tall, bulky furniture and poor layout made it neither comfortable nor welcoming.”

Each school was allocated a budget from the fund to revitalize their library’s physical space and developed a custom improvement plan with a steering committee of PPSD and Brown administrators and teachers. Plans focused on upgrading collections, expanding digital resources and modernizing spaces.

At Alvarez, the renovation reshaped the library into a bright, open, welcoming space that now features lower bookshelves and colorful, vibrant furniture, creating a more accessible, collaborative environment. The upgrades also include a new circulation desk, cozy reading nooks and a versatile classroom area equipped with smart TVs.

Beyond the physical spaces, expanding and enriching book collections across PPSD’s high school libraries is a priority that will continue throughout the multi-year collaboration, Clifton said. To date, the project has added more than 2,000 books to eight libraries. “Our goal was to ensure that every student, regardless of their school, would have access to similar genres including Spanish-language books and other popular titles,” Clifton said.

Connecting Educators and Inspiring Students

Last summer, 15 PPSD librarians and English teachers gathered for a workshop at Brown organized by the University’s Center for Library Exploration and Research. Teachers and librarians left with new strategies to enhance students’ primary source literacy. Providence Career and Technical Academy Library Media Specialist Kim Yeaw left feeling motivated, equipped with new interactive lessons to use with students. “I needed a refresher on the primary resources available, and the hands-on activities we learned are perfect for teaching our students,” Yeaw said.

The second phase of the library enhancement project is also creating expanded learning opportunities for students through new programs, events and field trips. During the current school year, PPSD students are meeting accomplished young-adult authors, for example. In October, more than 300 students and teachers heard an inspiring talk by award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson. In March, students will have the chance to meet author Jason Reynolds at an event.

In its third year, the library enhancement project will focus on enriching K-12 school partnerships with public libraries and the University’s own library facilities. Together, Brown library staff and PPSD librarians hope to establish a workshop series on research methods, teaching PPSD students how to work with primary sources, engage in collaborative research and effectively use library resources.

Last year, Brown library staff welcomed Classical High School students to campus, providing support as the juniors explored research topics like opioid harm reduction, gun violence prevention and climate change solutions. Over two days in Brown’s Sidney E. Frank Digital Studio and Patrick Ma Digital Scholarship Lab, students refined research questions into searches and accessed scholarly articles through campus research databases - skills that future workshops will build upon.

Project leaders say that partnerships between high school and college libraries can bridge gaps in information literacy, equipping students with skills in conducting research, evaluating sources and navigating academic resources. By welcoming PPSD students into Brown’s libraries, Clifton hopes to empower them with knowledge they need to succeed academically. “We want students to feel prepared if they choose to pursue higher education - not only by understanding how to navigate their school libraries but by knowing how to connect with librarians and academic resources beyond high school,” Clifton said. “Building those connections now can help bridge that gap and set them up for success in college and beyond.”

Building Financial Literacy

In addition to the multi-year initiative to strengthen PPSD libraries, a separate project supported with approximately $165,000 from the Fund for the Education of the Children of Providence is focused on boosting middle school students’ financial literacy decision-making skills. With Brown's support, all PPSD seventh and eighth graders took a field trip to the Boston Science Museum. In the first stage of the “participatory budgeting” exercise, students generated lists of challenges faced by PPSD schools. Next, during a town hall on Brown’s campus, the students debated and voted on broad funding categories. The top three choices were skill-based learning, student health and hands-on learning experiences. Through group exercises, discussions and votes, students ultimately chose to fund hands-on learning. In the final stage, a smaller group of eighth-graders developed a budget proposal, pitching ideas and ultimately combining two projects - internships and field trips - into an initiative they called “Fieldternships.” And last spring, the students’ vision came to life as all seventh and eighth graders across PPSD embarked on a daylong trip to the Boston Science Museum, marking the first major step in the new Fieldternships initiative.

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