Meeting the Needs of Urban Students - Creative Arts Therapy in Jersey City Public Schools

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by McGucket

Paper detailing the history and development of the Jersey City Public Schools creative arts therapy program, including practitioner examples across the district. The work highlights technology-based art therapy, an extended school year model, partnerships with school mental health staff, and professional development, alongside music therapy integrated with academics and community arts events. It also addresses short-term behavioral supports and internship opportunities, and discusses challenges in establishing and sustaining services in a large urban district.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

History of the Creative Arts Therapy Program

Meeting the Needs of Urban Students: Creative Arts Therapy in Jersey City Public Schools Cindy Lou Nelson, Jersey City, NJ Abstract This paper describes the history and development of the Jersey City Public Schools creative arts therapy program. Creative arts therapists contributed examples of their work throughout the district that provide a window into their respective school settings. Examples include technology-based art therapy, an extended school year program, collaborations with school-based mental health workers, professional development, music therapy integrated with academics, community arts events, short term behavioral programs, and internship opportunities. The challenges of establishing and sustaining a creative arts therapy program in a large urban school district are addressed. The article affirms that creative arts therapists develop effective school programs through innovation, research, and collaborative efforts among peersand other professionals. Introduction Developing a creative arts therapy program in a large urban school district is by no means an easy task. Initially, it takes the dedication of an individual who knows the needs of children living in an urban district and has insight into the educational benefits of the creative process to ameliorate those needs. It also takes the energy, administrative savvy, and perseverance of many people to cultivate and sustain the program. Poverty, broken families, racial and ethnic tensionsand distrust, hunger, substance abuse, violence, and gangs often are all part of the daily reality that a child brings into the classroom. The National Research Council Institute of Medicine has studied how these societal issues affect children developmentally, drawing from stress theory, social theory, and social epidemic theories. It found, for example, that children who live in a dangerous neighborhood may have fewer interactions with peers and other adults due to the Editor’s Note: Cindy Lou Nelson, MPS, ATR-BC is an art therapist and art educator with the Jersey City Public Schools of New Jersey. The author is grateful to Nancy Healy and JCPS creative arts therapists Kristin Marino, Tina Boscarino, Cindy Hamilton, Mechelle Chestnut, Brian Tepper, Angela Tardiff, Erika Munzing, Diane Quiroga, and Lara Kahan for their contributions to this article. As founder of the JCPS program, Nancy Healy received the 2003 Rudolph Arnhiem Award from the American Art Therapy Association for her impact on the field of art therapy. Ali Karamanol received the 2009 Honorary Life Member Award from the New Jersey Art Therapy Association for her dedication to the field. Correspondence concerning this article may be addressed to the author at [clnatrbc@yahoo.com](clnatrbc@yahoo.com) restrictions placed on them by their parents (Shankoff & Phillips, 2000) . In this climate, it is imperative that a“cooperative culture” (Gratton, 2009) is nurtured among parents, teachers, and administrators to support students. A creative arts therapy program is one avenue of support that can help schools address the effects of these societal issues on children. History of the Creative Arts Therapy Program In 1993 Nancy Healy, District Supervisor for the Jersey City Public Schools’ Visual and Performing Arts Department, took the initiative to begin such a journey. The impetus for her vision to incorporate creative arts therapy into the school district came from the realization that more was needed to address the unique challenges of students with special needs. Advocacy for the program came from members of the Department of Special Education who, through their own research, saw the value of creative arts therapy to augment the services they were already providing. Jersey City Public Schools (JCPS) is comprised of 27 elementary, 5 middle, and 6 high schools serving over 27,000 students. According to data collected by the JCPS Office of Business Technology, the majority of students are socioecon

FAQs

What program is described in the paper?

The paper describes the Jersey City Public Schools creative arts therapy program and how it was developed over time.

What kinds of creative arts therapy activities are included?

Examples include technology-based art therapy, an extended school year program, collaboration with school mental health workers, music therapy integrated with academics, community arts events, short-term behavioral programs, and internship opportunities.

What challenges are discussed in starting and sustaining the program?

The paper addresses the difficulties of establishing and maintaining creative arts therapy within a large urban school district facing poverty, social tensions, and related child stressors, and emphasizes the need for innovation and collaboration.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by McGucket