School Nursing

The Relentless School Nurse – #NoMoreEmptyDesks: Art + Activism = Artivism!

Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, FNASN, FAAN

Students Create Gun-Violence Awareness Exhibit for Rutgers–Camden Art Program

Many of the readers of this blog have followed the evolution of the #NoMoreEmptyDesks project that is currently underway in a Camden, New Jersey high school. The voices of the students, especially in this time, must be amplified.   #NoMoreEmptyDesks was conceived as an idea, a thought, a collaborative plan.

I reached out to a talented and devoted art teacher, Lisa Wallenburg, who I have worked with in my Camden City School District. Lisa is currently in her 33rd year of teaching art in Camden, and her passion and commitment to the students, the city, the community are unparalleled. Lisa immediately responded with a resounding YES!

The #NoMoreEmptyDesks initiative has received an arts grant that will culminate in a student-led curated art exhibit at the Stedman Art Gallery on the campus of Rutgers University in Camden, New Jersey in the spring of 2021.  This will be the celebration of a 3 year journey to amplify the voice of students who have experienced community gun violence. 

Anything Can Be a Canvas in Camden, Even an Old Desk

I recently visited the group of high school juniors to share my family’s story and give context to how this project conceived. I am impressed with the enthusiasm and engagement by this talented group of high schoolers. Here are some pictures from my visit!

 

Here are the original blog posts:

The Relentless School Nurse: Meet the Student & the Art Teacher Creating #NoMoreEmptyDesks

Published by Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, FNASN, FAAN

Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, FNASN, FAAN, is a Nationally Certified School Nurse (NCSN), currently in her 22nd year as a New Jersey school nurse in the Camden City School District. Robin is the Director for New Jersey to the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) Board. She is proud to be a Johnson & Johnson School Health Leadership Fellow and past Program Mentor. Robin is the honored recipient of multiple awards for her work in school nursing and population health. These awards include, 2019 and 2020 National Association of School Nurses President’s Award, 2018 NCSN School Nurse of the Year, 2017 Johnson & Johnson School Nurse of the Year, and the New Jersey Department of Health 2017 Population Health Hero Award. Robin serves as faculty in the School Nurse Certificate Program at Rutgers University-Camden School of Nursing, where she teaches the next generation of school nurses. She was presented the 2018 Rutgers University – Camden Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award for Part-time Faculty. Robin writes a weekly blog called The Relentless School Nurse. She also writes a monthly column in My American Nurse, the official journal of the American Nurses Association. Robin’s work is included as a case study in The Future of Nursing Report 2020-2030. You can follow Robin on Twitter at @RobinCogan.

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