While many students spend their summers taking a break from books and work, 15 students from the Harrisburg School District created works of art to benefit the community as part of Design It! Lively Seats, an arts-based summer training program created by Jump Street. This program is a collaboration between Jump Street, the Harrisburg Housing Authority, Southcentral Employment Corporation, and Harrisburg School District. Waypoint Bank and 10th Muse presented workshops on banking and running your own arts business. Design It! Lively Seats not only provided the “apprentice artists” with jobs and local libraries with children’s tables and chairs, it also shows what a little imagination, some wood and paint can do to enhance the community.

The table and chair sets were built and painted entirely by the students with the help of Tim Carroll, carpenter; Lowell Bond, graphic artist; and Gene Suchma, muralist. The students chose designs for their sets from various children’s stories. “This is the best summer program I’ve been involved with,” Mr. Carroll said. “It’s taught the students good skills, layout, design, painting, carpentry, and job skills. These are skills they can use throughout their lives.” Kenynn Pattillo, apprentice artist enjoyed the program because “this job teaches people that don’t know carpentry the necessary skills and discipline for a real job.”

The table and chair sets were presented on Friday, August 8, 2003 to Karen Cullings, Community Relations Director for the Dauphin County Library System. She accepted the sets on behalf of the libraries. The program participants held the ceremony at Harrisburg School District’s Career and Technology Academy.