What is the cost of the workshops?

Thanks to the University of Denver's Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning's Public Good Fund Grant and donations from many individuals, at this time we provide the workshops and supplies for free. 

 

Do I really get paid to participate in the workshops?

With the support of our Public Good Fund Grant from the University of Denver's Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning, the first 20 participants who work up to five hours on their projects will receive a $100 Target giftcard.

 

Do I get to keep my art?

Your art is yours to keep. We will ask you if you would like to share some of your art as part of a public exhibit at the University of Denver's Museum of Anthropology being showcased from February to March 2017 with the purpose of educating others about baby loss. If you choose to be a part of the exhibit, you will get your artwork back at the conclusion of the exhibition.

 

What if I am not an artist or a "creative person?"

We believe that all people, and especially those who are grieving, have creative talents. Most of us just don't use our creativity often enough in order to hone our skills and get "good." We will help you unleash your creativity and give you ideas to get you going.

 

What does it mean that participating in the workshop means I am participating in research?

As a workshop participant, you are invited to participate as a co-researcher in an on-going research study about how artmaking functions to facilitate the grieving and healing process for parents who have experienced the death of a baby. This research constitutes participatory action research, which involves academic researchers working with co-researchers or stakeholders. Stakeholders in this study include parents and health care or support providers who have a stake, investment, or commitment to the baby loss community. As co-researchers we all will enact multiple roles during the workshops; we will create art, make observations about the artmaking process, ask one another questions, talk about our observations, and discuss future ideas for research. Download the informed consent forms for more information about being a research participant.

 

Do I need to register in order to attend the workshops? 

Yes you do need to register ahead of time so that we can plan and purchase supplies.

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Why are the workshops a "closed group" and do I have to attend every meeting?

A closed group means that only registered participants are welcome to attend the six workshop session. We ask all participants who register to commit to attending all six workshops for a few reasons. First, one of our goals is to create a community so that parents feel less alone in their grief. When participants can't count on their fellow workshoppers to be present from week to week, their feelings of loss can be exacerbated. Second, we need to know how many participants we have from week to week so that we can purchase supplies ahead of time. With this said, we do work with the group to establish a plan to keep connected with one another in the case that someone has to miss a session. If you are highly interested in the group but cannot make it to one meeting, please email us and we may be able to make an exception based on if we have space available.    

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I am currently pregnant. Can I still attend the workshops?

Because being around and seeing pregnant woman can be a trigger for those who have lost a baby, we ask that you do not sign up until after you give birth. Because experiencing a pregnancy after a loss is challenging on multiple levels, we are working to design a workshop for parents who are pregnant and preparing for birth. If you interested in one of these workshops, please contact us.

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I lost a baby 20 years ago. Can I still attend?

Yes, yes, yes. We welcome those with recent losses and those whose babies died long ago.

 

What does it mean to be a part of The Scraps of the Heart Research Collective?

In addition to participating in our workshops, we invite you to be a part of our research collective. This group of parents, health care providers, researchers, students and others are a group of people who meet periodically to discuss the research being done and that needs to be done along with The Scraps of the Heart Project. Our goal is to address the needs of the baby loss community. Depending on members' area of expertise, we call on them to share their opinions and offer advice. As we all have hectic schedules, members of the collective choose the extent to which they are involved. Please visit The Collective section of our website and contact us if you are interested in joining. 

 

What if I get upset during the workshops?

If you get upset during the workshops, you will be in good company! Grieving is hard and some days are easier than others. We are confident that in addition to feeling sad during the workshops, you will also feel a great deal of joy as you make art and feel a sense of commraderie with others like you. No matter what you feel, we have a network of professionals available to support you if you need them.