The link between arts programs and the social and mental development of children has been heavily researched. The clear result is that learning the arts increases the chance of success in future social and work-related endeavors (Torjman 2004 & Sheilds 2001). Children who live with poverty have a greater risk of dropping out of school due to circumstances in their lives. This can be combated by fostering hope and building their sense of self. Arts and music programs help children find their voice, build self-esteem and learn social skills that follow them through their lives and make them active members of their community.
Across Canada, child poverty is growing as funding for education is being cut (Maynes & Foster 2000). Due to the cutbacks, schools must restructure or even lose programs that are important to the healthy development of children. Programs meant to combat the effects of poverty are the most vulnerable as they are a low priority to educational policy-makers. This is due to the community’s inability to politically organize and make the policy makers aware of the programs needed (Maynes & Foster 2000). Also there has not been sufficient research done on behalf of the education board to determine which programs work and which do not (Levin 1995). The reliance of these programs on temporary funding also poses a threat to their existence as it makes it difficult to stage long-term intervention initiatives that are crucial to the healthy development of “at-risk” children. The education system needs to be reevaluated to recognize the validity of these programs which have, especially at the preschool level, proven most successful in aiding at-risk inner-city children (Maynes & Foster 2000).
People who live with poverty face many negative life events such as housing issues and violence. Maslow’s “hierarchy of needs” states that we have five levels of needs and cannot meet the needs of one level without fulfilling the needs of the previous level. The first level is basic physical needs such as hunger and thirst, the next is safety, then a sense of belonging, self-esteem and finally self-actualization (Myers 2004). When applying this model one can see why the inability to fulfill the initial levels of need would affect a student’s work. The child, their family and possibly even their community are stuck in the survival stages, and cannot take the steps needed to reach self-actualization. The community must become involved in the education process of children: to create a safe environment where children feel they belong, building their self esteem and realizing their potential. Arts programs jointly run by the community and schools are the perfect place to build this safe environment for children.
Programs in the arts promote creative thinking, problem solving and decision making skills. They also teach social skills such as conflict resolution, co-operative work and negotiation as well as personal skills such as perseverance, self-management and integrity. Children involved in the arts have higher levels of achievement in all studies and this can combat the disadvantages that some youth may have by helping them build social capital (Torjman 2004). Social capital is “the relationships, networks and norms that support collective action. It is created when people come together out of a shared purpose or goal that goes beyond individual benefits and incorporates the idea of connectedness” (Torjman 2004). At-risk children involved in the arts become more involved in community life as a result of the self esteem and social skills developed. These programs not only help them develop the skills necessary to learn a trade but also those needed to work with others.
A study done in a large urban school district in the American Midwest confirmed that music programs in school are successful as an intervention tactic for at-risk children. Through a combination of working in performance groups and being mentored by a music teacher, at-risk students’ self-perceptions of musical competence positively influenced their global self-worth. “For this study, the definition of at risk students was narrowed to those enmeshed in debilitating social, emotional, physical, academic, and economic difficulties…Global self-worth was used to indicate the extent to which the child likes himself or herself as a person, is happy with the way he or she is leading his or her life, and is happy with the way he or she is (Shields 2001).”
One successful program already underway in Canada is the ArtsSmarts program, founded in 1998 by The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation. It focuses on teaching other subjects through the use of art (Torjman 2004). In their program, “…artists and educators, schools and communities collaborate to integrate the arts into the daily work of students studying core subjects… Whether it is history through drama, math through dance, or science through music, projects reflect locally-shaped themes that cover the requirements of the provincial curriculum, but also help students to understand who they are and where they are in the world (Retrieved 03/19/08 from http://www.artssmarts.ca/eng/about/).”
In Winnipeg’s inner-city, the surrounding communities and Canada as a whole, we need to look at the act of learning as a holistic rather than technical process. School is not just a place for children to learn trades but is also a safe place for them to find their voices, form identities and find hope for their futures. Children affected by poverty need this especially. A shift must take place in the dynamics of the relationship between the teacher, student, educational institute and community in order to create an environment where children can feel safe to grow and reach their full potential. Art programs are the way to facilitate this shift.
References:
Fanelli, L. & Klippel, N. (2001). Reaching Inner-City Youngsters through the Arts. Art
Education, 54(5), 38-44. Retrieved 03/13/08 from
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0004-3125%28200109%2954%3A5%3C38%3ARIYTTA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-7
Levin, B. (1995). Educational Responses to Poverty. Canadian Journal of Education,
20(2), 211-224. Retrieved 03/13/08 from
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Lipman, L. & Duku, E. (1998). Sports, The Arts and Community Programs: Rates and
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http://www.rhdcc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/pkrf/publications/research/1998-001265/1998-001265.pdf.
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Myers, D. (2004). Psychology 7th ed. Holland, Michigan: Worth Publishers.
Sheilds, C. (2001). Music Education and Mentoring as Intervention for At-Risk Urban
Adolescents: Their Self-Perceptions, Opinions, and Attitudes. Journal of Research in
Music Education, 49(3), 273-286. Retrieved 03/13/08 from
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-4294%28200123%2949%3A3%3C273%3AMEAMAI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-2
Torjman, S. (2004). Culture and recreation: Links to well-being. Ottawa, Ontario: The
Caldonian Institute of Social Policy. Retrieved 03/13/08 from
http://www.caledoninst.org/Publications/PDF/472ENG.pdf.
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