From Murals to Mentors: How Thrive Collective Is Healing Public Schools

In New York City’s public schools, where graffiti once shouted louder than the system’s broken promises, a new kind of message is rising from the walls.

The message says: You belong here.
The message says: You have something to say.
The message says: You are not invisible.

This is the work of Thrive Collective, a faith-rooted nonprofit mobilizing artists, mentors, and local leaders to transform schools through creative presence. What began as a small team of dreamers has become a city-recognized model for education-based community restoration.

And behind it all stands Jeremy DelRio, a lawyer, artist, father, and pastor’s son who grew up at the intersection of urban ministry and creative rebellion.

Born Out of Brokenness

Jeremy’s journey into this work wasn’t strategic. It was personal. In the early 2000s, he was leading a network of churches focused on youth development, having already earned a law degree and served as a community advocate. But everything changed in 2006 when his father, a prominent inner-city pastor, passed away unexpectedly.

“His death wrecked me,” Jeremy shared. “Not just because I lost my dad, but because it exposed how deeply I was burned out. I was exhausted. I was grieving. And I had no margin left.”

That season of disorientation became the soil where Thrive would grow.

“I didn’t start Thrive because I had a five-year plan. I started it because I had a void,” he said. “And I needed to be reminded that God still shows up in broken places.”

No More Orphaned Schools

What struck Jeremy most was the sense of abandonment he saw in schools. Not just by the government, but by the community. Many public schools—especially in historically marginalized neighborhoods—had no after-school programs, no art classes, and no parental involvement.

“They were orphaned,” he said. “Disconnected from systems of care, creativity, and advocacy. Left to figure things out alone.”

Thrive set out to change that.

The model was simple: embed artists and mentors in public schools to serve as consistent, healing, creative voices. They weren’t just running programs. They were becoming family.

“We didn’t want to be outsiders offering handouts. We wanted to be insiders building trust.”

Murals, Music, and Mentorship

Since its founding, Thrive Collective has facilitated more than 150 large-scale school murals, dozens of film projects, and mentoring cohorts across New York City. Their team of creative professionals includes working artists, musicians, filmmakers, and writers—many of whom come from the same neighborhoods as the students they serve.

Each program is student-driven. Whether painting a wall or writing a short film, the work begins with student stories. The students choose the theme. They do the research. They collaborate with mentors. And they execute the vision together.

“It’s not about decorating a wall,” Jeremy said. “It’s about restoring dignity. It’s about young people seeing themselves as creators.”

One principal in the Bronx called the transformation “radical.” Before Thrive arrived, vandalism and apathy plagued the school. But once the students were invited to paint their own stories, ownership took over. The hallway became a gallery. The graffiti disappeared. Pride returned.

Faith in the Public Square

Though Thrive operates in secular settings, its roots are deeply spiritual. Jeremy is unapologetically driven by the conviction that the Church should be in the public square—not as a political force, but as a creative and healing presence.

“We live in a city that doesn’t always want our Gospel, but it desperately needs our love,” he said. “So we come through the side door. We show up as artists. As listeners. As servants. And over time, people begin to ask why we’re still here.”

He describes the model as “pre-evangelistic architecture.” Thrive doesn’t run Bible studies in the classroom. But they create trust that opens doors to deeper spiritual conversations in safe places—often over time, and always in relationship.

Mentoring for the Long Haul

One of Thrive’s most critical offerings is its MentorU program. Recognizing that many students—especially boys of color—lack consistent male role models, Thrive recruits men from churches and local communities to serve in schools weekly.

These mentors are not lecturers. They are listeners. They coach students in life skills, emotional resilience, and creative leadership.

“Young men are looking for belonging,” Jeremy said. “If we don’t give them something to belong to, the streets will.”

MentorU is particularly focused on helping boys reimagine manhood, purpose, and legacy. It’s one of the most in-demand services Thrive offers, and one of the hardest to scale.

“We need more men to say yes,” Jeremy said. “If we had 1,000 trained mentors tomorrow, we’d place every single one.”

A Replicable Blueprint

While Thrive Collective is uniquely embedded in New York, Jeremy believes the model can be adapted anywhere.

“Start by asking your local principal, ‘What do you need?’” he advised. “Don’t come with a pitch. Come with a posture. Be present, be helpful, and keep showing up.”

For cities looking to rebuild after COVID, economic instability, and cultural division, Jeremy sees the arts as a path forward.

“Art breaks down barriers. It heals trauma. It invites people to dream again.”

He encourages churches to think beyond Sunday services and consider how their artists, creatives, and storytellers can become bridge builders in the public square.

The Future Looks Like Restoration

Thrive’s dream is not just more murals. It’s more momentum. It’s more community partners. More schools reclaimed. More students empowered. And more adults willing to stand in the gap.

As Thrive’s website boldly declares: We don’t just want schools to survive. We want them to thrive.

Behind every brushstroke is a story. Behind every student is a name. And behind every wall transformed is a neighborhood watching what hope can build.