This evaluative study assessed the effect of a creative expression program designed to prevent emotional and behavioral problems and to enhance self-esteem in immigrant and refugee children attending multiethnic schools. The study provides some evidence that creative workshops in the classroom can have a beneficial effect on the self-esteem and symptomatology of immigrant and refugee children from various cultures and backgrounds. These quantitative results support previous qualitative analysis showing that the workshops participate in the reconstruction of a meaningful personal world while simunltaneously strengthening the link of the child to the group. They also transform the teachers’ perceptions of newcomers by placing an emphasis on their strength and their resilience, while not negating their vulnerabilities. (Description from source)
