The participants will receive payments of $50 per day, for a total of $200 for the four days of work. This longer engagement with participants will allow for deeper connections and increased skill-building. This “next step” work opportunity is an evolution of the first phase of the Color Me Back project, where ten individuals who participated in Phase I will be randomly selected for four consecutive four-hour work days, during which they will receive a variety of art-making trainings, from priming and brush skills to installation. Participants are recruited through outreach and have the opportunity to connect, contribute, and engage with outreach specialists who can link them with support services, including social and/or behavioral health services and potential opportunities for longer-term employment while working in the program.Ĭolor Me Back at the South Broad Street SEPTA Concourse began in August 2020 and is scheduled for completion in November 2020. Designed in partnership with the Scattergood Foundation, SEPTA, the Sheller Family Foundation, and Mental Health Partnerships, the initiative is managed by Mural Arts’ Porch Light community wellness program, a collaboration with the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services. Color Me Back: A Same Day Work and Pay Program is an innovative new initiative that combines participatory art-making and access to social services in a unique model offering individuals who are experiencing economic insecurity an opportunity to earn wages.

Color me badd