Art Scholars is a weekly class designed for students struggling with academic, behavioral, and/or social challenges. Piloted at Davis Elementary School in College Place in February of 2022 for 3rd-5th grade students identified by teachers and the school social worker, our 2022-23 program features expanded expressive art opportunities that will include K-2 students.
The Art Scholars program confirms what we know to be true: art is a powerful tool for intervention work. It promotes confidence-building and social-emotional learning by providing students an outlet for self-expression and a safe space for idea generation, risk taking, problem solving, experimentation, and decision-making. The act of creative expression positively affects mood, cognition, and behavior. Through this art-based enterprise, students are able to use their imaginations in productive and corrective ways, providing an outlet for self-discovery, change, and healing.