Online Certificate Program in Social Emotional Arts 10/7 - 12/17/2023

This online certificate training is interactive and experiential, and will help prepare participants to facilitate groups in a virtual space. It features the use of trauma-informed creative approaches from cultural perspectives. Topics include group cohesion, verbal and nonverbal communication, neurodiversity and learning differences, self-care and stress management, strengthening personal presentation skills, and evaluating program outcomes. SEA also offers best social-emotional practices in the multiple disciplines of art, dance/movement, drumming, music, poetry/writing, and theater because of their symbiotic benefits.

The Certificate Program not only teaches structured and scripted activities that can be used in the community, but also teaches trainees how to develop and deliver their own effective curricula for youth and other populations. It is practically designed to address challenges often encountered by those serving in the front lines of need.

Trainees that attend all sessions and complete all course requirements satisfactorily will obtain a Certificate in Social Emotional Arts from Arts & Healing Initiative. Certificate holders that demonstrate solid mastery of SEA training practices may be recommended for future teaching opportunities in the community.

Significance

Through the 60-hour online training, you will learn to develop and deliver process-oriented arts experiences in school and community settings to improve emotional well-being, the social climate, and the learning environment. Educators and community arts professionals are often not sure what to do or say when inevitable “stuff comes up,” like when a student comes crying after seeing a performance and says, “that happened to me.” There can also be unintended consequences of arts experiences, such as self-judgment, anxiety, and excessive vulnerability.

To help strengthen the role of educators and arts professionals in community health, we offer this certificate program aimed at maximizing the social-emotional benefits of arts education, and the effectiveness of program development and delivery, through a focus on the process of creative expression. The process of creative expression can be used as a metaphor for life that deepens reflection and dialogue, which brings meaning, self-awareness, empathy, and connection to others. Moreover, engagement in the process of creative expression without expecting perfection or mastery reduces self-judgment and anxiety that can impede learning, creativity, and future participation. Without performance anxiety, students are more apt to volunteer to lead activities and share ideas, which transfers to more active participation in the classroom and greater willingness to take positive risks, such as volunteering to sing solos in the school chorus. In the service of life, these students are acquiring skills for thinking on their feet, generating creative solutions, and expressing themselves with confidence.

The National Education Association advocates the use of the arts as a “hook” for getting students interested in school. Ånd moreover, arts programs that can be shown to improve social-emotional learning and that are evaluated in ways that are meaningful to stakeholders, such as school administrators, will also increase the likelihood of adoption by schools—which will increase access to arts experiences for underserved youth.

Receive a Certificate in Social Emotional Arts

We offer our 60-hour Certificate Program in Social Emotional Arts three-to-four times a year. Trainings are open to all—from community arts professionals to educators to mental health practitioners. CEs are also available for mental health professionals for an additional fee.

Trainees that attend all sessions and satisfactorily complete all course requirements will obtain a Certificate of Completion in Social Emotional Arts. Certificate holders that demonstrate solid mastery of SEA training practices may be recommended for future teaching opportunities in the community.

For more information on a particular session, please email sea@artsandhealinginitiative.org.

Fee

$1,989. Financial assistance is available to those in need.

Teaching Faculty & Program Development Team

Meet our teaching faculty and program development team. 

Testimonials

“The SEA program pushed my creative teaching to new levels. The techniques shared are practical and are ready to implement in the class. If you are up for a challenge that will move you from a comfort zone to a full spectrum creative teacher, this program is for you.” —SEA Trainee

“This work is healing, powerful and is integral with working with many populations. So many social-emotional and cognitive skills are strengthened through this work AND it’s fun!” —SEA Trainee

“Schools and teachers NEED to be able to offer these tools and strategies to their students. All teachers would benefit from this training. Personally, I feel as though I have been cracked wide open and there is so much more inside me that can emerge.” —SEA Trainee

“I’ve learned SO much from the classes—from the coursework, the instructors, AND the participants! The experience has helped me enormously as an educator and as a person.”

— Kate Pomatti, Art Teacher at Lincoln Middle School in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District

“I’ve learned so much about myself, my confidence has gotten stronger and it was a wonderful bond and support that we as a cohort created for each other. I am so grateful! Honored! Thank you!”—SEA Trainee

“When I first came across the SEA Program, I felt like I had stumbled upon a gold mine! This program has far exceeded my expectations. What a rewarding experience it has been to join with like-minded peers and to learn from leaders in the fields of arts and healing. Not only have I gained skills to apply in my professional life, but I’ve also experienced growth and healing on a deeper personal level. I urge you to sign up for his priceless program! You will be so grateful you did!” —SEA Trainee

“Get ready to go on the journey of your lifetime. The experience was very eye opening and heart healing. This program pushed me beyond my comfort zone. It made me aware of my own limitations and it gave me the empowerment to challenge them. This is a great program with so many benefits. Enjoy the ride!” —SEA Trainee

“An awesome, life-changing program! It was eye opening, and has put arts therapy into a whole new perspective for me. There is no doubt that the knowledge I have gained while at SEA will have a profound impact on the way I facilitate moving forward. This is a program that every educator and therapist should have the opportunity to participate in. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart for making my time at SEA an experience that I will never forget!” —Debbie Kazel Sipos, Music Teacher and Music Therapy Student

“I’m not exaggerating when I say that the SEA program changed my life. You’ll grow as a person, and can bring what you learn to any population that you might serve. I highly recommend it.”— Deborah Scott Studebaker, Writer and Writing Teacher