Social Emotional Mental Health For Students

Funded Sep 16, 2024

In my sessions, we launched a project that integrated art and physical exercise to deepen social-emotional learning (SEL) for teens. One activity, called "Emotion Through Motion," involved students first engaging in a series of movement exercises designed to embody different emotions, such as slow, grounded motions for sadness or quick, flowing movements for excitement. The physical exercise with the Champion Sports Extreme Series Soccer Ball helped students become more aware of how emotions manifest in their bodies, promoting mindfulness and emotional regulation. This movement segment allowed them to release tension and stress, creating a foundation for deeper emotional exploration. The students found this activity to be very helpful and joyful, we will continue to expand more on this in the future. Also using the Fidget Toy box the students were able to ease their anxiety.

The students were also able to transition into creating visual art that represented the emotions they had explored through movement. Using supplies provided such as Crayola Washable Watercolor Paint Set, Colorations Jumbo Tempera Paint Sticks, Crayola Pip Squeaks Marker Set with the Giant Paper Pad the students were able to express colors, shapes, and textures, to communicate how they were feeling in that moment. This process was not about creating a perfect artwork but about using the creative process to understand and externalize complex emotions. The final step was a group reflection, where students shared their pieces and discussed the emotions behind their artwork. They did so in a space and comfortable setting sitting in the floor seat chairs.

Furthermore, the combination of physical and artistic expression helped students build self-awareness, empathy for others, and resilience, all while fostering a supportive classroom community. The integration of movement and art was an empowering way for teens to connect with their emotions, offering them a multi-sensory experience to promote mental health.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Luberto