Along Main Street in Stroudsburg, numerous passing cars pressed on the brakes to witness a unique visual extravaganza – one that captures the spirit of the Stroudsburg High School environment.

Enormous, eye-catching photos of SHS staff and students decorate the exterior walls of the high school.  Side-by-side, these 5 feet tall by 3 feet wide posters display a wide variety of faces of students and staff members.  They are pasted to the wall with a homemade, biodegradable wheat paste.  

The ultimate effect is a spectacular mural that can be appreciated for the next several weeks by all who pass on Main Street.

This project, as well as the Celebration Day on April 30, is called One Roof, Many Faces. The Diversity Equity and Inclusion club premiered the idea for this mural to the students and staff and received massive support — raising over $2,000 to support the project.

One major focus of One Roof, Many Faces is to recognize all people and celebrate their differences.  Under the roof of SHS, there are many different faces, but they are one big family.

“Our message is to show we are here, as a community,” said group leader Ms. Sarah Cepin. “The project was set up to bring people together, people who may not have ever met all to work on the common good together — one big project.”

Celebration Day was the culmination of this project. It brought the internal beauty of SHS’s diversity to the forefront – literally. It showcased the community the faces of staff and students that attend SHS every day.  There was live music, food, face painting, and games — and the weather was perfect.

The Inside Out Project has not just left its mark on Stroudsburg. Over 2,329 ‘actions’ have been created all over the world. These actions are created depending on the message the place wants to represent. Actions have revolved around a range of topics including diversity, community, feminism, racism, climate change, education, children’s rights, and more!

“This event reminds us  that we are now living in the times that we are; we are so divided,” said senior Jose Gonzalo Perea Rivera.“It kind of shows that our job as the next generation is to bring us back together and this project is just one step to doing that.”

Even though the posters will peel off in a couple of weeks, the organizers of the event hope that the message of inclusion will carry on. The success of the project hopes to invigorate the students and staff to embrace the beautiful, unique qualities that each face brings under one roof.

Gallery • 20 Photos

Photos by Tarteel Shaikh