The Academy for College and Career Exploration (ACCE) is a new 2004-2005 Baltimore City public innovation high school, created by the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development and the Sar Levitan Center of the Johns Hopkins University, Institute for Policy Studies. At ACCE, we prepare our 152 freshman students by enforcing a professional dress code and 9-5 schedule, which allows for co-curricular activities. ACCE is college and career-focused. As the Community Artist in Residence and Mural Arts instructor, I aim to creatively unite our founding students and staff to its neighbors.

Baltimore City employers interned 105 ACCE students on February 17th. Nine
visited the Maryland Institute College of Art, where 10 art professionals were reviewed. At the end of the day, commissioned by the Baltimore City Romero Committee, the students began a mural for the Salvadoran martyr who peacefully empowered the poor for social justice. The mural for solidarity was completed in 5 weeks, including Saturdays, and over 30 ACCE members. On April 1st, the 6x6 foot mural was paraded in Fells Point at the conclusion of the 25th Anniversary of Romero Week.

Another initiative has been defining ACCE’s identity. In response, the two Mural Arts classes each created removable 6x18 foot hallway murals, due to potential building relocation. The endeavor began in March as portrait drawings. By the end of May, the students composed beautiful drawings with painting instructions. By June, the murals involved over 50 students and staff members. Devon Brown, our ACCE president, best concluded "This school has color now. It's got ACCE spirit!"