Arts-in-nature program volunteers can expand the capacity of schools to support children’s mental health Research suggests that combining the arts and nature through arts-in-nature programs can enhance children’s mental health and well-being. However, the potential of arts-in-nature programs in schools and communities is often constrained by multiple factors, including the limited capacity of staff. This study explored a specific approach, the Branching Out model, which was designed to expand the capacity of an arts-in-nature program called 'Artscaping' by engaging community volunteers.
The Branching Out model was piloted in six primary schools in an economically disadvantaged area of the UK. The program used volunteer Community Artscapers to deliver weekly 90-minute long outdoor Artscaping sessions to a total of 101 children (age 7–10 years) for eight weeks. Children identified as in need of mental health support, but who were not eligible for existing interventions, were selected to participate in the program. The weekly Artscaping sessions took place outdoors on school grounds and aimed to engage children’s creativity and imagination to connect with nature. After the conclusion of the program, 11 Community Artscapers, including six school staff and five community or parent volunteers, as well as four school administrators participated in interviews to investigate their experiences with the program. To better understand the process of establishing and supporting the Branching Out model in schools, interviews were also conducted with the director and project coordinator of the Artscaping program.
Findings were focused on three main areas: mobilizing community assets, impacts for children, and impacts for Community Artscapers. Findings related to mobilizing community assets revealed the processes involved in recruiting, training, and sustaining the meaningful involvement of volunteers. Impacts for children focused on the areas of mental health provision, freedom in creativity and being outside, personal development, emotional impacts, and social connection. Interview responses indicated that the program addressed a “gap in mental health provision” by functioning as an early intervention for children with emerging mental health challenges. Children benefited from a sense of freedom which they experienced both through the creativity supported through the program as well as by being outside. Artscaping fostered children’s personal development by supporting their sense of achievement, building self-confidence, and improving engagement in classroom learning. Emotional well-being was also positively impacted, with children demonstrating enjoyment, excitement, as well as an increased sense of calm. The final benefit reported for children was improved social connection and friendships among children and with adult volunteers and teachers. Volunteers and school staff serving as Community Artscapers also reported experiencing their own benefits, including feeling impactful, enhanced emotional well-being, personal and professional confidence and empowerment, and improved social connections and sense of community.
Findings suggest that the Branching Out model offers a viable approach for schools to increase their capacity to support the mental health and well-being of their students, while also providing benefits to community volunteers and school staff. The researchers conclude that “through community mobilization there is potential for the Branching Out model to become replicable and self-sustaining across schools to promote children’s mental health as a public health intervention.”
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