Building Arts-Based Social-Emotional Learning Practices Through Embodied Professional Learning - WCER Working Paper No. 2025-2

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Melati

This paper presents preliminary findings and a research agenda for UW–Madison’s Community Arts Collaboratory (Arts Collab) 2-year initiative supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. The study examines how arts-based, embodied professional learning supports school educators in building and implementing social-emotional learning practices. Eight educators engaged in experiential arts activities to develop agency, identity, and belonging through artmaking, reflection, and community building. Findings highlight key themes such as the fallacy of time and the transformative power of educators becoming learners, improving SEL instruction and classroom safety.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages35

Reading Time1 h 28 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Research Design and Professional Learning Community

Findings and Key Themes

Implications and Replicable Model

Building Arts-Based Social-Emotional Learning Practices Through Embodied Professional Learning: UW–Madison Community Arts Collaboratory’s Research Lab WCER Working Paper No. 2025-2 July 2025 Yorel Lashley1, Erica Halverson2, Stephanie Richards1, Emily Nott2, Tracey Bullington1, Lindsey Kourafas3, John Samuels2, Leila Rahnamanoabadi2, & Audriana Ryann Zeuske4 1Professional Learning and Community Education (PLACE); 2Department of Curriculum and Instruction; 3Department of Educational Policy Studies; 4Undergraduate student, Departments of Philosophy and Art University of Wisconsin–Madison [lashley@wisc.edu](lashley@wisc.edu) Keywords: social-emotional learning (SEL), arts education, professional learning, professional development, learning community, arts-based learning, embodied learning, reflective practice, arts integration, SEL in education, teacher training, experiential learning, creative pedagogy, arts and wellbeing, arts in teacher education, educational innovation, community-engaged research in education Suggested citation: Lashley, Y., Halverson, E., Richards, S., Nott, E., Bullington, T., Kourafas, L., Samuels, J., Rahnamanoabadi, L., & Zeuske, A. R. (2025) . Building arts-based social-emotional learning practices through embodied professional learning: UW–Madison Community Arts Collaboratory’s National Endowment for the Arts Research Lab (WCER Working Paper No. 2025-2) . University of Wisconsin–Madison, Wisconsin Center for Education Research. © 2025 by Yorel Lashley, Erica Halverson, Stephanie Richards, Emily Nott, Tracey Bullington, Lindsey Kourafas, John Samuels, Leila Rahnamanoabadi, and Audriana Ryann Zeuske. All rights reserved. Any opinions, findings, or conclusions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding agency, WCER, or cooperating institutions. Readers may make verbatim copies of this document for noncommercial purposes by any means, provided that the above copyright notice appears on all copies. WCER working papers are available at [https://wcer.wisc.edu/publications/working-papers](https://wcer.wisc.edu/publications/working-papers) Building Arts-Based Social-Emotional Learning Practices Through Embodied Professional Learning: UW–Madison Community Arts Collaboratory’s Research Lab Yorel Lashley, Erica Halverson, Stephanie Richards, Emily Nott, Tracey Bullington, Lindsey Kourafas, John Samuels, Leila Rahnamanoabadi, & Audriana Ryann Zeuske ABSTRACT This paper presents the preliminary findings and research agenda for the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Community Arts Collaboratory’s (Arts Collab) 2-year initiative supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. The research examined how arts-based, embodied professional learning can support school-based educators in developing and implementing socialemotional learning practices. The project focused on designing and facilitating a Professional Learning Community where eight educators engaged in experiential arts activities drawn from signature Arts Collab youth arts programs—Whoopensocker, Drum Power, and visual arts integration—to explore and support agency, identity, and belonging. Through collaborative artmaking, structured reflection, and intentional community-building, educators were encouraged to center joy, risk-taking, and vulnerability in their teaching. The research identifies key themes including the “fallacy of time,” balancing structure with joy, and the transformative power of becoming learners themselves. Preliminary findings suggest that embodied, arts-based professional learning enhances social-emotional learning instruction by humanizing pedagogy, fostering educator empathy, and creating safer, student-centered learning environments. This work contributes a replicable model for arts-based professional learning that integrates socialemotional learning into educational practice in meaningful and sustainable ways. Building Arts-based Social-Emotion

FAQs

What is the core purpose of this working paper?

It shares preliminary findings and a research agenda for the UW–Madison Arts Collab 2-year initiative supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.

How did the researchers support educators in developing SEL practices?

They designed and facilitated a Professional Learning Community where educators participated in embodied, arts-based experiential activities alongside structured reflection and community-building.

What major themes are identified in the preliminary findings?

The research highlights themes including the “fallacy of time,” balancing structure with joy, and the transformative power of educators becoming learners themselves.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Melati