Social and Emotional Learning and the Arts
Developing Curricula for SEL and the Arts
Arts Education and Social and Emotional Learning Outcomes Among K-12 Students
This paper is the result of a convening hosted by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The convening showcased new research and evidence-based programs that identified the cognitive, social and behavioral outcomes of arts interventions.
Hanna, Gay, Michael Patterson, Judy Rollins and Andrea Sherman. 2011. “The Arts and Human Development: Framing a National Research Agenda for the Arts, Lifelong Learning and Individual Well-Being.” National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Americans are highly engaged in the arts and believe more strongly than ever that the arts promote personal well-being, help us understand other cultures in our community, are essential to a well-rounded K-12 education, and that government has an important role in funding the arts. See Alabama here
Engaging with art is essential to the human experience. Almost as soon as motor skills are developed, children communicate through artistic expression. The arts challenge us with different points of view, compel us to empathize with “others,” and give us the opportunity to reflect on the human condition. Empirical evidence supports these claims: Among adults, arts participation is related to behaviors that contribute to the health of civil society, such as increased civic engagement, greater social tolerance, and reductions in other-regarding behavior. Yet, while we recognize art’s transformative impacts, its place in K-12 education has become increasingly tenuous. Brian Kisida and Daniel H. BowenTuesday, February 12, 2019
