Art School of Hard Knocks: Using Strengths Based Visual Arts Education to Promote Resiliency Skills in Homeless Youth

The purpose of this study was to investigate crossover between arts education and issues surrounding homeless youth at a time when the rate of homelessness is increasing and arts education is decreasing. Current literature regarding homeless youth tells us that homeless youth develop resiliency skills to help cope with the stressors of living in a transitional state. The resiliency skills include: creativity, problem solving, observation, perception, working through frustration, and communication. These skills are similar to those developed through arts education. A qualitative review of a one-time, strengths-based arts workshop created for youth living in transitional housing, showed that the youth were engaging each of the above-mentioned resiliency skills. We discovered there is potential for using arts education to engage homeless youth in the process of developing skills. However, more research is needed to determine if practicing resiliency skills in this setting is transferable to life outside the classroom.

Author

• Lee, Jenna Elizabeth

Language

• en

Keyword

• strengths based
• Art Education
• resiliency skills
• Homeless youth
• at-risk populations

Date created

• 2011

Type of Work

• Master's Thesis

License

• All rights reserved

Rights statement

• In Copyright

GW Unit

• Art Education

Degree

• M.A.T.

Advisor

• Lawton, Pamela
• Honig, Selila

Committee Member(s)

• Storr, Annie

Persistent URL

•  https://scholarspace.library.gwu.edu/etd/n009w240r