she was an art professor. In the 1980s, she accidentally discovered her path to healing broken communities. She was looking for space to create a large-scale mural and found a place in North Philadelphia. As she got to know the neighborhood, she learned about problems that people there faced. She started working with children in the community to create a park. Of course, art was a big part of it. Under her leadership, the project flourished and became an organization called The Village of Arts and Humanities. Today it serves more than 5,000 children and families a year and includes art classes, gardens, and even a writing program. In 2003, Ms. Yeh started a new program, called Barefoot Artists, to work with broken communities elsewhere in the United States and around the world. She has created projects in Rwanda, Kenya, China, India, Ecuador, and other countries. “Suffering people and communities motivated me to create Barefoot Artists,” she says. Even though community-building wasn’t her expected career path, she says she is glad she found it. What brings her the most satisfaction is to see people become joyful by creating art. When she sees their smiles, it tells her “we did our job the right way. That makes us happy.” She offers some advice to children: Eat healthy foods. Think positive thoughts. Give your best effort. Never take the easy route. Always remember, “change is possible.” — By Dean Millard, Gabrielle Piccirilli, Cecily Ritchie, Kayla Sparks, and Melanie Stagliano East Norriton Bulldog Bulletin 29 Illustration by Ciani Rodriguez, William Cramp Fit Flyer