“Reflection Redefined,” a DECA project created by senior Kate Kalinowski and junior Kira Porter, educated the Algonquin community about body image through an art show, informative handouts, announcements, and activities this month.

From January 11 to January 22, the two-week campaign began with an “inform” week, educating students and staff about body image and spreading awareness, then a “redefine” week, celebrating the unique beauty each individual holds.

“The goal of our campaign is to help our peers feel good about themselves, while educating them about body image issues,” Kalinowski said. “We hope that by the end of the campaign our peers are able to view themselves and others as more than just their physical appearances. Every person has positive attributes and we want them to weigh those just as heavily as their physical appearance.”

“I hope that the campaign can bring forth more compassion for others in the community and improve the self esteem of classmates, faculty, and anyone else our campaign can affect,” Porter said.

The campaign ended with an art show in room C111, which opened January 21, featuring work inspired by body image issues. Kalinowski and Porter hope to spark conversation among the Algonquin community through the gallery.

“A high school classroom is a great place to identify and break down this topic so students can reflect on them,” art teacher Danielle DiCiero said. “Since high school is a place where people often feel tied to these topics, it seems crucial to foster discussions that allow for positive change.”

“Body image is something that’s really hard for a lot of people to talk about,” Kalinowski said. “It’s usually a very personal and emotional subject for a lot of people, so I think giving students a creative outlet to talk about body image is very helpful.”

Alongside student submitted artwork, professional photographer Charise Isis donated four photos from her campaign “The Grace Project,” featuring women who have had mastectomies.

“I’m excited to share this work with a young audience and I’m impressed by women like Kate and Kira who want to help shift the perspective,” Isis said. “If I can help bring the message to a young [audience] that our beauty comes from within… that self acceptance is incredibly powerful and that we are all scarred in our own ways, then the project will have served its purpose. We need to learn to embrace ourselves as we are now, to love ourselves and to make healthy choices, to realize we are enough. ”

Kalinowski and Porter were inspired to create the project after realizing body image wasn’t something that is often discussed in classrooms.

“I do believe that body image should be a more prominent topic of discussion in classrooms,” Porter said. “I think that it is important to talk about topics that have the power to impact our happiness and confidence. It is important to remember how much power we have to influence our peers. With more discussion in classrooms, I think we will be reminded of a moral responsibility to bring out the best in others.”

“I think it’s important to talk about because things like mental health have become more common to talk about, but body image is kind of looked over.. people deserve to see themselves in a positive light,” Kalinowski said.

Kalinowski and Porter believe their project will have a positive lasting impact on the Algonquin community.

“My wish would be that people think more carefully before they choose to criticize another person’s appearance or behavior, and they will have a more positive outlook on their personal appearance,” Porter said. “I hope that the campaign will remind people that they are defined by more than just their appearance; they are valued for who they are as people.”

Students can expect informative announcements, handouts, and activities related to body image during the Reflection Redefined campaign.

“If one person who really feels bad about themselves can then go home and be like, ‘You know what, I feel good about myself,’ or someone could complement someone who doesn’t necessarily fit into society’s traditional view of beauty,” then Kalinowski believes the project will be worthwhile.

“[W]hen you look in a mirror, you see such superficial things and…it really doesn’t matter what you look like in the mirror, it matters what you say to yourself when you look in the mirror,” Kalinowski said. “If you say enough times ‘I’m beautiful’ and ‘I’m confident,’ and ‘I’m strong,’ then you can redefine what you see in the mirror, and make it a positive thing.”