Park bench murals designed by students from 30 different New York City schools were unveiled in Washington Square Park on Thursday.  

The initiative includes around 900 kids from schools across the city who want to raise awareness about a variety of local, national and international issues.  

Each bench design depicts a problem in their community, ranging from racism and climate change to mental health and gun violence. 

The project is organized by CEI Benchmarks, an art program teaching young people to speak out about social issues they care about.  

“Kids are a part of our communities, they experience all the same things that we do, and we can really look to our young people for solutions, for voices on these issues to make change in the world,” said Alexandra Leff, creator of CEI Benchmarks.  

These beautiful benches will be displayed not only in Washington Square Park, but in parks across all five boroughs through August.