Cecile McWilliams & Sophia Ryder, Safe SPACE Coalition

Art and Activism 

Students in Safe SPACE Coalition promote healthy relationships where it matters most: in their communities and among their peers. Throughout each semester, students learn about issues like sex trafficking, domestic violence, and boundaries from experts and youth leaders alike.

Using the arts, they respond to these serious issues in an accessible way. Projects give students the opportunity to make change in their own schools and communities, and can be anything from an Instagram campaign to a comic book.

Two leaders from the Coalition are excited to talk about the group and the way it uses art for activism!

About our speaker:

Cecile McWilliams is a junior in high school at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Austin, TX. Cecile is the President of Safe SPACE Coalition, a youth leadership group working to prevent child exploitation and promote healthy relationships through the arts. She runs cross country and plays soccer. She loves dogs, books, language, and talking to people.

Sophia Ryder is a senior at Westlake High School and Director of the Advisory Board. She believes that SAFE Space does an incredible job of putting forth a unique perspective on ways to make change but also take action throughout schools and communities everywhere. She loves leading a community that includes such a diverse and creative group of people and is just as passionate to make change as we are. “It’s not only empowering to our audience, but myself as well – bringing about change through creativity and art is something that needs to be mobilized and I want to be a part of a community that utilizes this technique to support others who have trouble asking for help.”