About the REACH Lab
Lab Description
The arts can neither guarantee equality nor can they undo its root causes. However, they have the potential to counter some of the toxic effects of these adverse conditions (e.g., poverty, racism) on young children and their families.
For that potential to be fully realized, children and families facing risk must have access to high-quality arts and cultural events and experiences which recognize how their heritage, resilience, and talents contribute to their development, the wellbeing of their communities, and the flourishing of the wider world.
To enhance and expand opportunities for this level of access, the Research on Equity via the Arts in Childhood (REACH) Lab’s multidisciplinary team of investigators aims to develop a rigorous evidence base that showcases the varied ways in which specific arts experiences directly benefit children’s and families’ development. In this work, we collaborate with cross-disciplinary researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and, most importantly, the families and youth in our partner organizations.
Currently, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, REACH researchers are diving deeply into the ways in which music might play a significant role in the lives of young children and their families. More specifically, we are conducting studies that examine the role that active musical participation may play in:
- Strengthening family bonds, increasing mutual regulation, and nurturing early communicative development in toddlers and their caregivers;
- Improving young children’s capacity for self-regulation in pre-school settings; and,
- Developing the neurophysiological functions that may underlie self-regulation.
Across all of our studies, we aim to understand how offering high-quality musical experiences in home visits, public preschools, or as an integral part of early grade school can contribute to positive outcomes for young children and their families.
The REACH Lab’s work lays the foundation for examining the impact of many forms of arts activities on children’s and families’ development.
Research and Projects Timeline
Since the REACH Lab’s founding, the REACH team has shared and promoted its work through the following opportunities and publications:
2022
In March, Arts for Learning Maryland (formerly Young Audiences of Maryland) announced that it was awarded a nearly $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to demonstrate arts-integrated school programs that improve academic performance and emotional well-being of students in low-wealth schools. REACH Investigators are co-leading all aspects of the evaluation, including recruitment, assignment, data collection, analysis, reporting, and dissemination to research audiences. Learn more on WolfBrown’s website.
In April, REACH grad student Suzanne Varnell presented her thesis titled, "Visual arts activities relate to cortisol and observed interest for preschool children". Suzanne graduated from the WCU Psych MS program in May and is now continuing her studies through a PhD Program at Purdue University.
Also in April, REACH team members participated in WCU's Research and Creative Activities Day and presented the following:
- Brown, E.D., Varnell, S., Holochwost, S.J., Wolf, D.P., Garnett, M.L., Velazquez-Martin, B., Allen, A., Malatesta, J. (April, 2022). Visual arts activities relate to cortisol and observed interest for preschool children.
- Brown, E.D., Holochwost, S.J., Wolf, D.P., Garnett, M.L., Velazquez-Martin, B., Varnell, S., Allen, A., Malatesta, J., Blumenthal, M.A., & Tettey, E. (April, 2022). Creative arts and child stress regulation: Should teachers guide or get out of the way?
- Brown, E.D., Holochwost, S.J., Wolf, D.P., Garnett, M.L., Velazquez-Martin, B., Varnell, S., Allen, A., Malatesta, J., & Hennessey, K. (April, 2022). Cortisol relates to emotion expression for young children facing economic hardship.
In May, REACH research assistant, Estefania Ortiz, presented this poster at the WCU Community Engagement Conference:
- Ortiz, E.O. & Brown, E.D. A Bilingual Advantage: Executive Functioning for Young Children Facing Poverty Risks (2022, May). Community Engagement Conference, West Chester University, West Chester, PA.
In June, Dennie Palmer Wolf presented at the Weill Music Institute Annual Lullaby Convening, Carnegie Hall, New York.
- Wolf, D. (2022, June). Lullaby Research Session. Weill Music Institute Annual Lullaby Convening, Carnegie Hall, New York.
In October, REACH investigators were excited to present this study at a convening of the Mason Arts Research Center (ARC):
- Brown, E.D., Holochwost, S.J., Wolf, D.P., Allen, A., Charya, P., Garnett, M.L., Velazquez-Martin, B., Varnell, S., and Schnarr, E. (2022, October). The Magic’s in the Making Music: Music, Dance, and Cortisol for Preschool Children Facing Adversity.
REACH investigators also were excited to present this study at WCU’s Feminist Research
Soiree:
Stovall, S., Charya, P., Tettey, E., & Brown, E.D. (2022, October). Stress, trauma,
coping, and resilience for mothers and children facing poverty, racism, and the COVID-19
Pandemic. Feminist Research Soiree, West Chester University, West Chester, PA.
REACH Investigator Ellie Brown was pleased to collaborate with her colleague Dr. Michael
Burns on this presentation for WCU’s Ruby Jones Conference:
Burns, M. & Brown, E.D. (2022, October). Listening about Race. Ruby Jones Conference,
West Chester University, West Chester, PA.
2023
In January, a new article by REACH investigators was published! The work was facilitated by a prior NEA award:
- Brown, E.D., Weaver, Z., Streich, M., Shivde, G., & Garnett, M.L. (2023). Cortisol across preschool day relates to teacher ratings of executive functioning for children facing economic hardship. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 62, 31-40. DOI:10.1016/j.ecresq.2022.07.006
Steven J. Holochwost led a professional development session on social-emotional learning for teachers from Prince George’s County Public Schools in association with Arts for Learning Maryland and the previously awarded Education Innovation and Research Grant.
In March, the following REACH studies were presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development in Salt Lake City, Utah:
- Varnell, S., Brown, E.D., Holochwost, S., Wolf, D.P., Allen, A., Malatesta, J., Garnett, M.L., & Velazquez-Martin, B. (2023, March). Visual Arts Activities Relate to Interest and Cortisol for Children in Head Start Preschool.
- Brown, E.D., Holochwost, S.J., Wolf, D.P., Allen, A., Charya, P., Garnett, M.L., Velazquez-Martin, B., & Varnell, S. (2023, March). The Magic’s in the Making Music: Music, Dance, and Cortisol for Preschool Children Facing Adversity.
In Paper Symposium: Prevalence of Arts Engagement in Childhood and Associated Benefits for Cognitive, Physiological, and Social-Emotional Outcomes
Chair: Melissa Menzer, National Endowment for the Arts
In April, REACH faculty and students presented these posters at the WCU Research and Creative Activities Day:
Brown, E.D., Holochwost, S.J., Wolf, D.P., Allen, A., Charya, P., Garnett, M.L., Velazquez-Martin, B., & Varnell, S. (2023, April). The Magic’s in the Making Music: Music, Dance, and Cortisol for Preschool Children Facing Adversity.
Shokunbi, F., Brown, E.D., Weaver, Z., Garnett, M.L., Mazurek, M., & Holochwost, S. (2023, April). Cortisol and Executive Functioning for Children in Head Start Preschool.
King, S., Brown, E.D., Garnett, M.L., & Holochwost, S. (2023, March). Emotion Knowledge Relates to Cortisol Levels for Children Attending Head Start Preschool.
April 24: The 1st REACH Convening held at Settlement Music School, Philadelphia, PA, was a great success!
https://www.wcupa.edu/sciences-mathematics/psychology/EBResearchLabs/reach/events.aspx
In June, REACH investigators shared these presentations at Carnegie Hall’s Lullaby Convening in New York:
Brown, E.D. & Davis, T. (2023, June). The Art of Early Childhood Education for Children Facing Economic Hardship. Carnegie Hall’s Lullaby Convening, New York, NY.
Wolf, D.P. Anderson, K., & Murphy, M. (2023, June). Building a Meaningful Project. Carnegie Hall’s Lullaby Convening, New York, NY.
In July, REACH investigators provided updates and insights about our work to the NEA Labs Summit Chaired by NEA Director of Research and Analysis, Sunil Iyengar.
In December, REACH investigators were excited to participate in the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)’s Music as Medicine: The Science and Clinical Practice Workshop, where, in a session chaired by Sunil Iyengar (Director of Research and Analysis, NEA) Steven Holochwost took the lead in presenting about the team’s research, and Settlement Music School’s Early Childhood Executive Director Tarrell Davis reflected on community impact.
2024
In January, the Marrazzo Family Foundation awarded a generous grant that will expand Dr. Ellie Brown’s study of Settlement Music School’s arts-integrated model for early childhood education, called Kaleidoscope Wants Everyone Succeeding Together (KWEST). This study builds on seed funding provided for the KWEST project by the Caroline Alexander Buck Foundation and will advance further development of Settlement’s scalable model for early childhood arts integration and evaluation of its impact. We're excited for the next stage of this work!
In April, REACH faculty and students will present this paper at the American Educational Research Association (AERA):
Brown, E.D., Mosley, K.J., Anderson, K., Holochwost, S.J., Gans, S., Weaver, Z., Shokunbi, A., Mazurek, M., Ortiz, E., & Wolf, B. (2024, April). Creative Movement and Yoga Relate to Stress Reduction for Children in Head Start Preschool. American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.
In Paper Symposium: Arts Learning across the Lifespan: Social-Emotional, Cognitive, and Physiological Benefits
Chair: Melissa Menzer, National Endowment for the Arts
REACH faculty and students also will present this poster at WCU’s Research and Creative Activities Day:
Hearst, I., Brown, E.D., Garnett, M.L., & Holochwost, S.J. (2024, April). Racial-Ethnic Match in Relation to Cortisol Levels for Children in Head Start Preschool.