Arts as Community & Connection: Creative Pathways to Engagement, Equity, & Empowerment
Format
Individual Presentation
First Presenter's Institution
Georgia Southern University
First Presenter’s Email Address
areyes@georgiasouthern.edu
First Presenter's Brief Biography
Dr. Alex Reyes is an Associate Professor of Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students at Georgia Southern University.
Location
Session Six
Strand #1
Home: Family & Community Engagement
Strand #2
Head: Academic Achievement & Leadership
Relevance
The arts can be powerful tools for expression, exploration, and education. This presentation bridges arts-based activities with the homes and communities of youth.
Brief Program Description
This presentation will explore the ways participation in arts-based activities can be used to improve wellness, explore identity, create community, and expand notions of teaching and learning. A small guided arts activity will take place.
Summary
In our communities, the arts have long served as bridges across cultural, language, and social gaps. The arts can also be powerful motivators, facilitate communication, foster socioemotional growth, and expand student opportunities to understand, engage with, and demonstrate understanding of content in classrooms. The arts can create community (in both physical and virtual spaces) that push past language, intellectual ability, interest, or feelings of security. In our increasingly diverse communities, arts-based engagement opportunities can foster connection through building empathy and interest in others’ lives. Participants will be invited to engage in a small guided arts activity.
Evidence
Because the arts can also be powerful motivators, facilitate communication, foster socioemotional growth, and expand student opportunities to understand, engage with, and demonstrate understanding of content in classrooms, the arts create community (in both physical and virtual spaces) that push past language, intellectual ability, interest, or feelings of security.
Learning Objective 1
identify the powerful motivators within arts-based work inside and outside the classroom
Learning Objective 2
express how art can facilitate communication and foster growth among youth
Learning Objective 3
participate in an arts-based activity
Presentation Year
2024
Start Date
3-5-2024 11:30 AM
Recommended Citation
Reyes, Alexandra J., "Arts as Community & Connection: Creative Pathways to Engagement, Equity, & Empowerment" (2024). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 62.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2024/2024/62
Arts as Community & Connection: Creative Pathways to Engagement, Equity, & Empowerment
Session Six
This presentation will explore the ways participation in arts-based activities can be used to improve wellness, explore identity, create community, and expand notions of teaching and learning. A small guided arts activity will take place.