People Around Us
After-School Art Classes
Hands Create • Minds Solve • Hearts Grow
"Art is more than learning to draw or paint. It gives children opportunities to express their ideas, experiment, make decisions, embrace mistakes, and develop creative problem-solving skills that support learning across many disciplines." – Leila Ghasempor
Let's Work Together
Bring Interdisciplinary-Sustainable after school art classes to your school
People Around Us Art Classes offers enriching, sustainable, and interdisciplinary after-school art programs for elementary schools and teens. Dedicated to fostering creativity and hands-on skills, we partner with schools to bring high-quality art education, upcycled textile crafts, and community-centered workshops directly to students
Fig. 1. Design Tech High School. Students works from my Sculpt and Stitch Class, Redwood City.
"If my knowledge is a drop of water, it becomes the ocean, when my students use their hands to create." – Leila Ghasempor
How We Can Partner
Bring Interdisciplinary-Sustainable after school art classes to your school
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After-School Enrichment Programs: Direct, multi-week art courses held right at your school campus .
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Intersession: Specialized, immersive art workshops during school breaks.
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Custom Community Workshops: Hands-on textile, fiber, and mixed-media art experiences designed for youth groups.
Get in Touch
REWARDING MOMENTS
DESIGN TECH HIGH SCHOOL
Fig 1. My student from Flex-X program at Design Tech high school share their creativity, sustainability ideas, and collaborative projects. Read their interview to learn more about their CRL initiative.
Students from my Flex-X program at Design Tech High School are turning creativity into community impact. Cait, Reed, and Lexi of CRL Design and Fashion use repurposed materials to create meaningful handmade pieces while sharing their passion for sustainability and collaboration.
SPRINGER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Figure 4. Teddy Bear, from my book project. Watch its short video here.
From Story Writers to Storytellers: Creativity, Imagination, and Connection
As a one-month creative writing project, I invited my students to write and create their own storybooks. The results were truly inspiring. Some students who were not usually interested in listening to stories discovered that they had their own stories to share. Many found a new excitement for writing, and whenever they had free time, they began creating mini books and eagerly sharing their stories with classmates.
One of the most touching moments came when a student was hospitalized for two weeks due to a lung condition. Missing her friend, another student decided to create a special book about how to draw a teddy bear. When the student returned, we gifted her a teddy bear while she read the story. As the story unfolded, readers were guided step-by-step to draw a teddy bear—until, in a magical moment, the teddy bear came to life.
This project became more than an exercise in writing; it became a way for students to express creativity, build confidence, and use storytelling as a tool for friendship, kindness, and connection.💗🌸
STANFORD RESEARCH CENTER
Fig 2. Stanford Research Center, community workshop for their community, participants were from children above 4 years old to adults and seniors
In one of my community workshops at the Stanford Research Center, a 74-year-old woman was passing by the space when she stopped after noticing a tulip flower created by a 4-year-old young artist. Inspired by the child’s work, she asked if she could also sit down and create a tulip of her own. She shared how meaningful it was to see creativity across generations and felt excited to participate herself. 💗🌸🙋♀️.
HISTORY SAN JOSE MUSEUM
Fig. 3. History San Jose Museum, Yoga installation project for children at San Jose Roots festival.
I designed this interactive yoga installation for children ranging from toddlers to 13 years old, inviting them to explore movement, creativity, and collaborative play. It was fascinating to watch how each child engaged with the installation in their own unique way. One brother and sister continually reconfigured the cubes, transforming them into skyscrapers, cityscapes, and a house, while another group of children incorporated the cubes into yoga poses and enthusiastically encouraged their father to join them. Witnessing their imagination, problem-solving, and joyful participation reinforced how open-ended installations can inspire both creativity and meaningful family interaction.
REDWOOD CITY LIBRARY
Figure 4. Redwood city and Los Altos Libraries, participants were children and seniors.
It was heartwarming when a mom asked if her daughters could join us during the workshop—and of course, I happily said yes. When they arrived, they amazed me with their talent and creativity. Each person approached the work with their own perspective, curiosity, and rhythm—and that’s what made it so meaningful. From the youngest hands experimenting with materials to decades of lived experience shaping thoughtful details, the room felt alive with connection.
It was a reminder that creativity doesn’t belong to a specific age—it grows, evolves, and stays with us throughout our lives. 💗🌸