BrickWall was founded by Yara Almouradi in 2009 as an educational community art contest in Fullerton, California, to raise awareness of the responsibilities and consequences of substance abuse through interactive activities and presentations. The main goal was to unite Fullerton youth and adolescents to achieve a safer environment in their community by researching, peer-educating, and utilizing their artistic talents to highlight the importance of substance abuse awareness. J.P., a contestant in the 2011 BrickWall Art Contest, informed the project founder that he was so impacted by his research finding and moved by his and all the contestants’ work that he decided to enroll himself in a local drug rehabilitation center. Since then, J.P. has been heavily involved in advocating for substance abuse awareness in Fullerton College and the community, and is now a Drug and Alcohol Counselor. Additionally, BrickWall Art Contest has become an annual event in Fullerton College.
Through BrickWall’s outreach in Fullerton, the team gained comprehensive knowledge of the city’s various neighborhoods with at-risk population. The underserved youth and adolescents face cultural, language, economic, and educational barriers that are exacerbated by deficits in affordable social services. This prompted BrickWall Art Contest to expand its services to this population and develop BrickWall Academy to promote the educational well-being, leadership development, and cultural enrichment through creative means.
BrickWall Academy 