Tools of Self-Care: Teaching a Therapeutic Dance Curriculum to High School Students

Presenter

Diamond Smith

Campus

UMass Amherst

Sponsor

Ellen Correa, Department of Civic Engagement & Service-Learning, UMass Amherst

Schedule

Session 5, 3:30 PM - 4:15 PM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board C19, Poster Showcase Room (163), Row 2 (C11-C20) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

Tools of Self-Care: Teaching a Therapeutic Dance Curriculum to High School Students

For my civic engagement project at Amherst Regional High School, I will collaborate with the dance teacher to introduce 45-minute dance sessions emphasizing a guided exploration of the connection between students' minds and bodies. Encouraging self-awareness, recognizing strengths and weaknesses, and promoting self-care and mindfulness will be key components of these sessions. Kinesthetic empathy, bridging students' inner emotions with therapists' experiences, will be integrated to address the alarming mental health statistics among high school students during the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the CDC reported that over a third (37%) of high school students experienced poor mental health during the pandemic, with 44% persistently feeling sad or hopeless in the past year. Social and behavioral determinants are critical in health development models. Therapeutic dance, as a thriving principle, equips students with tools for overall health. The World Health Organization's November 2020 document, "Investing in Our Future: A Comprehensive Agenda for the Health and Well-being of Children and Adolescents," emphasizes self-care and solutions for students, focusing on social support and well-being. In summary, my project will provide dance strategies and tools that can help empower youth to be socially, mentally, and emotionally prepared to contribute to a more resilient and thriving society, especially considering the mental health challenges exacerbated by the recent pandemic.

Keywords

dance therapy , youth , body awareness, mental health, education

Research Area

Mental Health

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