Learning Sciences Lunch and Learn with Dr. Ian Levy

Connect with colleagues during this in-person presentation at the GSE (Room 124). Lunch will be provided! Can’t attend in person? Join us remotely via Zoom ! This presentation shares findings from a community-engaged study of a 12-week Hip-Hop and Spoken Word Therapy (HHSWT) small group, led by a school counselor in a New Jersey school district, with 8 middle school youth. Grounded in the healing ingredients of joy, the work calls on schools to move from pathology-focused approaches toward asset-based, culturally responsive counseling. Using a multiple-baseline single-case design (three baseline and six intervention assessments), we measured well-being with the EPOCH measure, drew GPA and attendance from school records, and conducted interviews and focus groups with participants. Quantitative results show preliminary promise for improving engagement, perseverance, optimism, and academic outcomes. Qualitatively, youth described personal growth (perseverance, emotional release) and social connectedness (constructive feedback, community, mental health advocacy). Findings position joy as an essential mechanism for supporting youth well-being, academic, and behavioral outcomes in…