Improving School Mental Health and Wellness Efforts Through Arts Education
November 24, 2020
Arts education can be leveraged by schools to deepen mental health and wellness resources for students, says the Education Commission of the States, which in a time of great disruption in education, should include trauma-informed approaches to instruction and student and family outreach. State, district, and school leaders can do so by tapping into local arts-based professional development opportunities, emphasizing state content standards that empower arts education, and connecting with well-established networks of parents, teachers, and advocates to advance shared goals. The Education Commission, along with the Arts Education Partnership, additionally released a report detailing the role that dance programs can have on early language and literacy development, social and emotional wellbeing, and physical health. As part of the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, arts education is deemed an integral piece of a “well-rounded education” and states are encouraged to support the integration of high-quality arts programs.