Abstract
Today’s college students are tomorrow’s entrepreneurs, innovators and leaders. Unfortunately, many college students are not on track to achieve their goals due to overwhelming mental health challenges. Current research shows that in 2021, up to 60 % of college students experienced one or more mental health challenges. These challenges lead to a loss of hope, truncated ambition, a lack of resilience and disengagement from society. Creative Thinking is a burgeoning field of academic and scholarly study. Defined as using the imagination to produce original ideas, creativity as an academic curriculum emphasizes the concepts of divergent/convergent thinking, openness to experience, risk taking, play and problem solving. In this workshop we illustrate how a creative thinking curriculum addresses the psychological vulnerability of college students, helps them to envision new ideas, actualize their future goals and find ways of engaging in society as active and empowered citizens. The presenters will use their experience in the classroom with over 500 college students to illustrate how cultivating a creative mindset can galvanize and inspire young people to maximize their own potential and participate as engaged members of society. We ask our colleagues to participate in exercises and engage in group discussions that explore how best to equip our young people with resilience, ambition and hope for their future.
Presenters
Phoebe FarberAdjunct Professor, Creative Thinking, Department of Theater and Dance, Montclair State University, United States David Strobbe
Adjunct Professor; Creative Thinking, Theater and Dance, Montclair State University, New Jersey, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
The Physiology, Kinesiology and Psychology of Wellness in its Social Context
KEYWORDS
COLLEGE STUDENTS, MENTAL HEALTH, RESILIENCE, CREATIVITY, EMPOWERMENT, ENGAGED CITIZENSHIP
