Melissa M. Menzer from the NEA Office of Research & Analysis posts to Art Works Blog:
As a research psychologist trained in studying childhood development, I often pose two questions in my role at the National Endowment for the Arts. One, what is the quality of the evidence suggesting that artistic and creative activities affect child outcomes, and two, what can researchers, educators, practitioners, and policy-makers do to implement successful arts-based programs that provide opportunities for children to flourish and to thrive? As part of this quest, I went to Philadelphia last month to participate in the biennial research conference for the Society for Research in Child Development.