Beyond the Canvas: A Mixed Methods SEL-Arts Program Study

• In Event: Towards Equitable Access to Mental Health Services in School: Teamwork Across Interdisciplinary Scholars and Professionals

Abstract

Objectives
How does art-making shape students’ social-emotional growth? This study explores a dynamic SEL-based arts program through both student and facilitator perspectives, revealing insights into engagement, skills development, and intervention design. This session will help participants:
1. Examine the connections between art-making and social-emotional learning as a modality to expand mental health support in school settings.
2. Explore the role of student engagement in art-making as a potential mechanism of change in SEL competency development.
3. Identify practical insights and recommendations from program facilitators to inform the design, implementation, and future development of similar interventions.

Theoretical Framework
As schools search for sustainable and impactful ways to support student well-being, social emotional learning (SEL) and arts-based interventions have emerged as promising tools. SEL involves the development of skills such as emotional regulation, empathy, goal setting, decision-making, and relationship-building (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning [CASEL], 2020). When implemented effectively, SEL contributes to student well-being, resilience, and academic success (Bennett et al., 2023; LaBelle, 2023). The arts have long been recognized as a powerful avenue for self-expression and can naturally foster core SEL competencies like self-awareness and emotional regulation (La Grutta et al., 2023).
Grounded in the CASEL framework, this study examines student SEL competencies, engagement, and facilitator insights through an SEL-based art intervention. Through theory-driven program evaluation, this study analyzes the intervention’s strengths and challenges, with implications for future practice and policy.

Methods
This paper evaluates an SEL-based arts intervention facilitated through a school-community partnership with a non-profit organization in the central coast of California (CA). The program is a 10-week push-in social emotional skills intervention within the art class, led by program facilitators.
Participants were three groups of individuals within a local elementary school in CA: sixth grade students in the program group in their art classroom, fifth grade students in the art classroom not in the program, and program facilitators. This study used a mixed methods design to collect quantitative data through pre- and post-surveys, as well as weekly semantic differential ratings of student engagement completed by both students and facilitators. Qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with program facilitators, providing contextual insights into implementers' experiences. This combination of methods allows for a comprehensive understanding of the intervention’s effectiveness by integrating measurable outcomes with narrative accounts.

Scholarly Significance
This study addresses a critical gap in the literature by examining how collaboration with a community-based organization can expand access to social-emotional learning (SEL) instruction in schools. It also introduces a novel pathway by linking student engagement literature to SEL-based arts interventions as a potential mechanism for change influencing student SEL competency development. Findings will contribute to the growing body of research on innovative SEL implementation strategies and offer actionable recommendations for educators, mental health professionals, and policymakers seeking to expand holistic, inclusive programming in school systems grounded in both empirical data and lived experience.

Author

• Samantha Paris Hutchinson, University of California - Santa Barbara