Institute of Contemporary Art Miami ICA Miami

Creating art at any age helps the brain build connections and makes it more resilient, researchers say. For 60 fourth-grade students at Toussaint L’Ouverture Elementary School in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood, art has also helped them form connections with each other and their teachers, and made them more resilient in class.

A new arts education program the school added in 2018 with the Institute of Contemporary Art in the Design District has contributed to taking the school from a “D” rating in 2017 to “A” in 2019. The improvement in critical thinking skills through museum activities and art making has changed the students’ writing, and their overall attitude and behavior, and improved grades and test scores. Miami Herald Article ‘Living and Helping People’ https://www.miamiherald.com/living/helping-others/article235642217.html