Art for Mental Health

Digital Art Magnet

Sabrina Doerrer

Sdoerrer@schools.nyc.gov

Introduction:

Mental Health is a critical issue that affects millions of people worldwide. Unfortunately, it is more prevalent among students, with many schools struggling to provide adequate mental health support. In this WebQuest, we will explore how art can be used as a tool to raise awareness about the mental health crisis in schools and promote positive solutions to mental health issues.

Task:
At the end of this WebQuest, your group will be able to:

● Identify the causes of the mental health crisis in schools.

● Discuss why mental health creates a problem within the school community.

● Identify the consequences of untreated mental health issues.

● Explore possible solutions to help raise awareness about the mental health crisis in schools.

● Identify what art therapy is and how it can help mental health issues.

● Create an art plan to help bring awareness to mental health issues.

● Present your art plan to your peers.

● Give feedback to your peers on presentations

● Reflect and revise presentations based on feedback from peers.

Process/Resources:

The process should follow the steps of PPA as previously discussed:

1. Defining the problem
2. Gather Evidence
3. Name the causes
4. Evaluating an existing policy/solution
5. Develop a solution for the problem at hand
6. Select the best solution for our school

Day 1:

The Mental Health Crisis in Schools. The first task is to research and learn about the Mental Health Crisis in Schools. We will also discuss possible solutions and/or resources to help raise awareness and promote positive mental health within our school community.

1. Watch the following video: “The Troubling Reality of the American Teenagers Mental Health”
2. Read the following article: The mental health crisis among children and teens: How parents can help”
3. Browse the following website CDC: Adolescent and School Health. In groups or 3 or 4, discuss the problem you see here in David A. Boody regarding mental health issues and possible solutions and/or resources to help address the rising mental health issue in schools. Click here for the discussion board.
4. Answer the following questions:
1. What is the mental health crisis in schools and why is it a problem?
2. What are the common health challenges that students face?
3. What are the consequences of untreated mental health problems in students?
4. What are some possible solutions that you can come up with to help raise awareness in schools?

Day 2:

Art for Mental Health: The second task is to research and learn about the role of Art in promoting positive Mental Health. Oftentimes, art can be a very strong way of expressing yourself when you can’t seem to find the words or it can be used as an outlet to let out your thoughts and feelings for that particular moment.

1. Watch the following video: “ The Healing Power of Art Therapy”
2. Read the article: “How Art therapy can improve your Mental Health”
3. Answer the following questions:
1. How can Art therapy help improve mental health?
2. What are some of the benefits of using art as a tool for promoting positive health?
3. How can art be used to raise awareness about mental health issues in school?

Day 3:

Art for Mental Health: The final task is to create an art piece that raises awareness about the mental health crisis in schools and helps promote positive mental health.

1. Form a group or 3-4 students.
2. Brainstorm ideas for an art project that focuses on mental health in schools.
3. Choose an art form, such as painting, drawing, digital art or sculpture and create a piece that raises awareness about the mental health crisis in schools.
4. Present your artwork to your school community, and explain the message behind it.
5. Reflect on your experience and how your artwork can contribute to promoting positive mental health in school.

Evaluation:

Share your plan with your classmates and evaluate each other's interventions based on the following rubric:

Evaluation Rubric:

Category	Excellent (4)	Good (3)	Fair (2)	Poor (1)
Content	Plan is well-researched and includes all components	Plan is mostly complete, but missing some components	Plan is incomplete and missing several components	Plan is incomplete and missing most components
Creativity	Plan is creative and unique	Plan shows some creativity and uniqueness	Plan lacks creativity and uniqueness	Plan is not creative or unique
Presentation	Plan is well-organized and easy to understand	Plan is somewhat disorganized and difficult to understand	Plan is poorly organized and difficult to understand	Plan is extremely disorganized and impossible to understand
Effectiveness	Plan is likely to be very effective in supporting mental health	Plan is somewhat likely to be effective in supporting mental health	Plan is not likely to be effective in supporting mental health	Plan is unlikely to be effective in supporting mental health

Conclusion:

Art has the power to raise awareness of important issues, such as mental health in schools and promoting positive mental health. Through this WebQuest and the use of the PPA steps, you have explored and identified the causes of mental health issues in schools including our own school community and learned about possible solutions to help the current mental health crisis in schools. You have also learned what art therapy is and how it can assist in promoting positive mental health and create awareness of specific mental health issues going on in schools nationwide. Now it is time to put what you have learned about art therapy to the test and use your creativity to create a wonderful art piece that will help create awareness of mental health issues in school and promote a positive environment for them to feel safe in.

New York State Standards:

The following standards are addressed in this web quest:

● Health Education Standard 1: Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.

● Health Education Standard 2: Students will access valid information, products, and services to enhance health.

● Health Education Standard 3: Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid information, products, and services to enhance health.

● Visual Arts Standard 1: Students will generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.

● Visual Arts Standard 2: Students will organize and develop artistic ideas and work.

● Visual Arts Standards 3: Students will refine and complete artistic work.