The Art Ventures K-12 Gallery Initiative takes myriad pathways to engage youth. AV staff for the Initiative partner with teachers and advisors in NWA public schools, with the Art Education Program at the U AR, School of Art, the Boys & Girls Club, regional cultural non-profits, and community-building programs such as the Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese (ACOM), Urban League Young Professionals, Fayetteville Public Library, Art Ventures art professionals, and more to impart the best learning experience for any student in art. We believe the thinking required to create and make art is “critical thinking”. Art thinking spurs creativity to plan a process whether simple or complex. Children and youth see themselves setting goals however broad, deciding upon the desired positive impact, selecting and making tools, and the pathways they will create for the viewer to assess whether the goal is achieved. Students also write and talk about how they perceive themselves after the program which involves preparation for the art exhibition and a reception for the family, friends, relevant dignitaries, and the regional community. This work de-mystifies students' sense of belonging, and their role as an essential citizen of the world.