Kwajalein resident Kendal Warren invited the US Army Garrison Kwajalein Atoll to join her mission.

Warren made his call to action during a briefing on the project to USAG-KA Commander Col. Tom Pugsley on March 3, 2022, along with members of the command team from the garrison and a group of community experts. Her Girl Scout Gold Award project proposal will use free community painting workshops to reduce stress and address mental health, she said.

“I was nervous,” Warren said, about giving the briefing, “but this project is really going to help Kwaj.”

Community members can volunteer to decorate a river rock donated by Nan, Inc., for the project. While painting, artists can consult mental health resources and enjoy the chance to create a small work of art. Completed works will be displayed in a wooden bin set up outside the Kwajalein Arts Annex, Warren’s father, Darin, said.

Warren will chronicle his progress and finished rocks on a project website with support from KAG. The site will also announce the locations of upcoming workshops. Students enrolled in kindergarten through sixth grade will attend workshops in the classroom of the art studio of Jane Christy, project consultant and art teacher at George Seitz Elementary School. Teens and adults will participate in workshops at the Art Annex.

When the capstone project is complete, Warren will earn the highest GSA program honors available to Senior Girl Scouts and Ambassadors. His effort is supported by the Kwajalein Art Guild; Nan, Inc.; the Kwajalein Employee Assistance Program; the Warren family; and The Kwajalein Hourglass.

Warren hopes the project will provide the Kwajalein community with a creative outlet. So while the residents of the island can help Warren with the project, the project can also help them.

“We’re really isolated here in the Pacific Ocean, and a lot of us haven’t seen our families in the United States for a long time,” Warren told Pugsley during his briefing. “It can be very frustrating. Some people struggle, and no one even sees it. I hope my project will reduce or prevent stress and depression.

Warren, who said he studied art during the 12 years of public education, finds that in addition to mental health, the difficult pace of life can be obstacles for adults and children. Combating “island fatigue” or stress is one of Warren’s main goals. His solution: create.

“Art is a great way to unwind,” Warren said. “I hope this will help other people too. … Lately people are very disconnected from society because of technology and social media. Even I feel like I’m sucked into this. I hope this will be a way to help people reconnect.

Interest in the project is likely to grow as word spreads. What if all the rocks don’t fit into the intended display frame?

Pugsley encouraged Warren to consider inviting painters to locate additional spots to place painted rocks as a surprise to anyone walking by.

“I know whenever my family and I find something like this, it always brightens our day,” Pugsley said.

After the briefing and getting a little closer to her final project, Warren said she felt good about continuing her work.

“You put a lot of thought into this idea and I approve of this project,” Pugsley told Warren. “We look forward to seeing how this project can benefit the island community.”