This engaging and interactive workshop integrates Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) with the creation of self-portraits, inviting students in grades kindergarten through five to explore their identities, foster a sense of belonging, and express themselves through various materials and mediums. Through the use of literature, creative art supplies, and diverse approaches, students will engage in a multi-faceted journey of self-discovery and expression, all while cultivating emotional awareness, empathy, and community building. Materials needed: Participants will need crayons, markers, colored pencils, paint and brushes, paper, fabric scraps, beads, and other mixed-media materials.
Lauren Cochran is an art educator with more than a decade of experience serving both kindergarten through twelfth grade public and non-profit arts organizations. Cochran studied printmaking at Auburn University, completed her master’s degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and then earned a doctorate from Carson-Newman University. Presently she is teaching visual arts in the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools as well as running her own side business, Crafternoon with Dr. Cochran, which offers art experiences for all ages.