A playground scene drawn in crayon, marker and colored pencil by a Charles County fifth grader now covers the walls of a children’s alcove in the lobby of the Charles County Department of Social Services building in La Plata.
The mural began with an idea from DSS Director Tanisha Sanders, Ph.D., who had seen a bright mural in another social services office and wanted something similar for Charles County’s lobby. “I wanted to add a more child-friendly space in our lobby,” Sanders said, with a goal of creating an environment that felt safe, welcoming, calming and joyful for children. She reached out to Superintendent of Schools Maria V. Navarro, Ed.D., to ask Charles County Public Schools for student artwork submissions.
Zyan White, then a fifth grader at Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School, took on the project after his mother, Shanita White, told him about the opportunity. “I heard about the [mural] opportunity and when I see things he can get involved with, I take advantage of it,” White said. Mother and son brainstormed together about places children like to be and have fun, landing on a playground theme. “We talked about what he could create and bounced around some ideas,” White said. “That’s where the playground came from and he thought he could bring out his vision.”
Zyan sketched the design before adding color, working on it over a weekend before turning it in to his teacher, Clarissa Roper, the following Monday. Roper said Zyan brings genuine thoughtfulness to his art. “He has shown a genuine passion for creating art, both at school and at home,” she said. “His enthusiasm, creativity and dedication to artistic expression made him an excellent candidate for this opportunity.” She described the finished piece as playful, vibrant and full of positive energy, adding that it carried a message of inclusion. “Through his artwork, he conveyed a meaningful message that everyone is welcome and valued, regardless of their race or disability,” Roper said.
After DSS staff reviewed the submissions, Zyan’s design was selected to be enlarged for the lobby wall. “I was super excited,” White said, recalling that the family celebrated with dinner out the night they found out. The design was transferred to a vehicle-wrap-style material and installed in a small alcove alongside a colorful rug, child-size furniture, bookshelves and games; two additional panels were created using Zyan’s design as inspiration to complete the full mural.
Zyan said he plans to keep drawing — he prefers it to painting — though his current extracurricular focus is PISOTA, where he’s pursuing an interest in acting. He also enjoys video games and soccer.
More Charles County student artwork will be on display during the Charles County Fair, Sept. 17 through 20, in the CCPS building at the fairgrounds, 8440 Fairgrounds Road in La Plata — an event the Chronicle has previously spotlighted for showcasing the district’s young artists, including past work from Roper’s own students at Mitchell Elementary.
