Human dignity education and artmaking: addressing student and teacher wellness together

With youth well-being at historic lows and recent marked increases in teacher burnout this perspective paper examines the evidence that suggests by "making room" in classrooms and curriculums for artmaking activities coupled with socioemotional learning there may be improvements in teacher and student wellbeing. This paper reviews the literature on artmaking activities and human dignity education in school settings and proposes a novel framework for an inclusive school-based mental health prevention and intervention program for teachers and students. The framework recognizes that youth with subclinical mental health concerns may benefit from lower-intensity programming compared to students experiencing clinical mental health symptoms. Anticipated impacts for teachers and students include improved communication, a greater sense of connection and belonging, meaning making, self-expression, emotional regulation, and improved overall wellbeing. The paper concludes with implementation strategies for piloting this novel mental health prevention/intervention program in varied school settings with innovative collaborations among therapists, homeroom teachers, and artists. Keywords: socio-emotional learning, artmaking, dignity, teacher, student, wellness.