Bishop schools bring art, counseling together

Creative process offers many benefits to students

Funding from

California Prop 28, Arts and Music in Schools, brings art and counseling together in Bishop classrooms.

Bishop Unified School District’s art-based school counseling creates space and time for students to build an art habit. The creative process promotes reflection, self-awareness, relieves anxiety and can lead to improved social skills as well as re-engage, disengaged students. This program serves transitional kindergarten students (TK) through 12th grade at BUSD, including alternative education students.

Some of the features of the program implemented this year include:

• Social Emotional Learning (SEL) infused art lessons for TK-5 that correspond to the Character Strong curriculum,

• SEL infused art lessons for Bishop Elementary School Rams club for Grades 2-4 and Palisades Glacier High

• Opening a “Creator’s Space” at Home Street Middle School, Bishop

High School, and Palisades Glacier High, offering students individual or group time to work on creative projects that match their individual interest in selfimprovement.

• Meeting with students one on one or in small groups for art projects.

According to Breanne Leeson, the coordinator of this new program, “students will work on their art and before they realize it, they are sharing thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. In the few months since starting this program, and although many of our students are navigating difficult circumstances, the increase in art opportunities have enriched student education, as well as the student’s social emotional health.”