Learning Sciences Lunch and Learn with Dr. Ian Levy
Connect with colleagues during this in-person presentation at the GSE (Room 124). Lunch will be provided!
Can’t attend in person? Join us remotely via Zoom!
This presentation shares findings from a community-engaged study of a 12-week Hip-Hop and Spoken Word Therapy (HHSWT) small group, led by a school counselor in a New Jersey school district, with 8 middle school youth. Grounded in the healing ingredients of joy, the work calls on schools to move from pathology-focused approaches toward asset-based, culturally responsive counseling. Using a multiple-baseline single-case design (three baseline and six intervention assessments), we measured well-being with the EPOCH measure, drew GPA and attendance from school records, and conducted interviews and focus groups with participants. Quantitative results show preliminary promise for improving engagement, perseverance, optimism, and academic outcomes. Qualitatively, youth described personal growth (perseverance, emotional release) and social connectedness (constructive feedback, community, mental health advocacy). Findings position joy as an essential mechanism for supporting youth well-being, academic, and behavioral outcomes in schools.
Bio:
Ian Levy is an Assistant Professor of School Counseling in the Educational Psychology Department at Rutgers University, a former High School counselor, and an emcee. His research explores how to prepare school counselors to use Hip Hop-based interventions to support youth development. Most notably, Dr. Levy piloted the development, implementation, and evaluation of a Hip Hop-based counseling framework in urban schools. This particular hip hop therapy program was featured on various news outlets, including the New York Times and CNN. In 2016, Dr. Levy was named the New York State School Counselor of the Year. His research monograph, Hip Hop and Spoken Word Therapy in School Counseling: Developing Culturally Responsive Approaches, is published with Routledge. In 2023, he released his second album, Sometimes I Forget Where I’ve Been, available on all streaming platforms.
Recordings of the Lunch & Learn presentations are typically made available on the Rutgers GSE YouTube Channel. Be sure to check back regularly for any talks you may have missed or want to see again!