Award: 2nd Place, Nashman Center Prize for Community Engaged Research, 2022
Project: ArtReach GW at THEARC: An Observational Evaluation
Human Services and Social Justice students Abigail Care and Alexa Betances collaborated with ArtReach GW, an organization committed to community engagement within D.C., originally founded as Corcoran ArtReach at the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design in Washington, D.C. Primarily serving youth and families with mental health issues living east of the Anacostia River, ArtReach GW supplies a myriad of explorative arts programs throughout D.C. Wards 7 and 8 and art therapy services in an area that lacks mental health clinicians. Their services reached 247 participants in 2019 and 11 exhibitions, 59.6% residing in Ward 7 and 8.
The researchers designed an observational evaluation tool for art therapy practices to replicate that of an ArtReach GW class and provided instructions for future course implementation.
Read more about their research here.
Bearing in mind the cogency of self-expression and creativity, the students suggested methods of improvement within interactive peer activities based on effective group art therapy and more coherent curricular parameters.
"Using a research-based evaluation process and the research question given to us by ArtReach GW, we examined four areas of interest for the organization to assess the effectiveness of their online classes: self expression and creativity, open sharing of opinions, art skills, and visual literacy."
