In a quiet hallway of a Mission Viejo community center, a gallery of student artwork lines the walls, each piece delivering a personal message about health, tobacco prevention and the power of choice.
The collection is part of the 2025 TUPE Art Showcase, created by students in OCDE’s ACCESS program and organized by the Tobacco-Use Prevention Education — or TUPE — consortium. On Tuesday, April 29, winners of the second annual art contest were celebrated with a modest reception alongside their families in a room just off the corridor where the artwork is now displayed.
This year’s theme, “Educate, Advocate, Empower: Youth Voices for a Healthier Future,” encouraged students to reflect on healthy lifestyles — and specifically what a tobacco-free future could look like.
The artwork, submitted in 2D, 3D and AI formats, was developed as part of a six-week TUPE curriculum delivered at ACCESS sites. At the conclusion of the course, students were invited to complete youth development projects to express what they had learned — ranging from beach cleanups to media campaigns to original art.
“My goal is for students to walk away thinking about what it means to live a healthy life without tobacco or nicotine,” said Brittney Morales-Bravo, a project assistant for the TUPE Consortium who leads instruction at ACCESS sites.
Inside the Norman P. Murray Community Center, each piece is accompanied by a short written description from the artist. One standout belongs to Leah Marie Felix, a 14-year-old eighth-grader at OCDE’s Skyview School.
Leah’s first-place 2D entry features two cartoon-style lungs — one bright and smiling under a sunny sky, the other gray and surrounded by smoke and fire. A caption outlines the stakes: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 480,000 people in the United States die each year from smoking-related diseases.
“I want people to see how smoking hurts your body and why it’s better to stay smoke free,” she said, adding that she felt pride seeing her creation next to an award of excellence.
ACCESS — which stands for Alternative, Community, and Correctional Education Schools and Services — supports students through individualized learning pathways. TUPE provides prevention education and resources to promote healthy choices and youth advocacy throughout Orange County.
The TUPE Art Showcase will be on display through May 19 at the Norman P. Murray Community Center and is open to the public during regular hours: Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.