STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – If you walk into Clove Lakes from the little park up top, called the Norbert Leeseberg Perennial Garden, off Clove Road near Victory Boulevard, you will find Staten Island students from South Richmond High School voicing their views on mental health awareness through their powerful bench mural. This mural was installed at Clove Lakes Park as part of CEI’s Benchmarks citywide exhibition. It is a part of the “Youth Setting the Standard for Social Change” program, created by The Center for Educational Innovation (CEI) in partnership with NYC Parks.

“The bench is about mental health; even though you may be going through something tough, there is always a way to come back from it and become stronger. The drips were kept there to show how sometimes life can fall apart,” said Nicholas Gonzalez, a 7th-grade student artist.

Another student, Anniyah Willis, added, “Mental health can affect our lives, and we need to improve it so we have a good life in the future and so that we can have a clear mindset about the things we need to do instead of having that foggy effect.”

The bench mural at Clove Lakes Park is not merely a piece of art but a beacon of hope and change. Created by students from PS/I.S. 25 South Richmond High School, it is part of a student exhibition featuring 30 benches in NYC parks citywide. This initiative is a testament to the transformative power of art and how it empowers students to speak out on significant issues, leaving a lasting impact on our community.