In its second evaluation of the Creative Wellbeing approach, Harder+Company Community Research found that young people who participated experienced positive social-emotional benefits while also exploring their interests, building technical art skills, and increasing their access to the arts. Adults who participated in the program are experiencing and embodying Creative Wellbeing values and healing themselves through this work. They further found that
- Teaching artists in the program make students feel comfortable, included, and safe to express themselves freely and make mistakes,
- Professional development participants appreciated the hands-on learning approaches of the sessions, and
- Internal champions and responsiveness to program and school needs have supported the Creative Wellbeing partnerships and their ability to implement the program.
The report concludes with recommendations for how to continue to improve the program.
The first Creative Wellbeing evaluation report can be found on our website, along with two documents that offer recommended tips for both implementing and evaluating healing-informed arts education.