Joyful learning at scale: Immersing students in the arts

In their recent book In Search of Deeper Learning (Harvard University Press, 2019), scholars Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine argue that if high schools are to help adolescents flourish as individuals and members of a community, they must do more than teach them academic skills and content - they must also give them meaningful opportunities to study material that truly matters to them, to explore their own creativity, and to experience a growing sense of accomplishment. For examples, Mehta and Fine point to extracurricular activities such as theatrical productions and debate clubs. But, argues Linda Nathan, many arts-immersed high schools have a long track record of bringing such powerful experiences to the center of the curriculum, balancing the arts and academics in ways that engage young people every day in rigorous, joyful learning.