Date

5-2024

Document Type

Capstone Project (Campus-Only Access)

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Department

Liberal Studies

First Advisor

Patty Whang

Abstract

For this Capstone Project, the researcher investigated how art teachers view the impact of arts education on students with mental health issues and provided suggestions of solutions they deem fit. After researching literature and data on the subject and interviewing stakeholders, the researcher used their newfound knowledge to curate an action to better arts education and, in turn, students’ mental health. This issue is important because the arts are not as valued as the other subjects in elementary school and are extremely underfunded. There is also a large population of students who struggle with mental illness. It is argued that the arts can help those who suffer from mental health issues by fostering creativity which builds and cultivates social skills. Three primary stakeholders were selected: two professors from a university for their background in the arts and teaching the “Arts in Education” course, and an arts elementary school teacher due to their title of Art teacher. Three themes emerged from the data and were explored as ways to address the issue presented. Providing resources to educators such as the Create CA website was decided as the most effective way to share a plethora of information to teachers, admin, and fellow advocates of the arts on how to heal young minds through arts education.

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