Art Education Commons^™

Impact Of Community-Based Creative Arts Programs On Youth, Kasey Jacques, John Seipel, Nyairah Abdullah, Trelijah Miller

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The purpose of our study was to reflect on how community-based cultural arts programs have had an impact on academic achievement, academic performance, and self-esteem among youth, aged 13 to 24 years old. Community-based creative arts offer a medium through which youth direct their energy toward achieving positive social, emotional, and academic outcomes (Wright, John, Alaggia, & Sheel, 2006). Our study took an approach known as “Positive Youth Development (PYD).” According to Ersing (2009, page 27), “(PYD) is a promising approach that rejects labeling young people as ‘at risk’ for a host of social, emotional, and behavioral problems and, instead, …