Social-emotional learning (SEL) curricula are being increasingly implemented with young children; however, access to comprehensive programs can be prohibitive for programs limited by finances, time, or other factors. This article describes an exploratory case study that investigates the use of creative activity in the direct promotion of empathy and indirect promotion of other social-emotional skills for early elementary children in an urban-based after-school setting. A novel curriculum, Creating Compassion, which combines art engagement with explicit behavioral instruction, serves as a promising avenue for socialemotional skill development, and has particular importance for children from low-income households. Five children from racially minoritized backgrounds in grades kindergarten and first attended the Creating Compassion group intervention. Group-level data and individual data of direct behavior ratings suggested a modest increase in empathy development, responsible decisionmaking, and self-management skills and thereby provide a preliminary basis for further effectiveness investigation. Suggestions for future research in this area are discussed in addition to social justice implications.Keywords Social-emotional learning . Empathy . Creative arts . Social justice Research suggests that empathy, defined by Ishaq (2006) as "the ability to identify and express one's own emotions to read another's emotions correctly and comprehensively" (p. S26), offers protective benefits to children (Lenzi et al., 2014;López et al., 2008). Researchers have also found that empathy can be taught (Teding van Berkhout & Malouff, 2016). As such, empathy is a core component of many social-emotional learning (SEL) curricula, which are gaining popularity globally and across the USA (Clayton, 2017;Cristóvão et al., 2017;Torrente et al., 2016). Although empathy-focused education can take various forms, including role plays and games, lectures, and skill-building exercises (Teding van Berkhout & Malouff, 2016), art-based interventions, such as those researched by Darewych and Bowers (2017), represent one particularly promising method for delivering empathy training to children. Given findings on links between empathy and creativity (Alligood, 1991;Carlozzi et al., 1995;Grant & Berry, 2011) and the effectiveness of experience-based social skills training programs with children (January et al., 2011), a curriculum that combines these elements has the potential to be both engaging and effective. Furthermore, in today's increasingly multicultural classrooms, arts activities offer English language learners a valuable opportunity to actively participate and express themselves more fully (Brouillette, 2009). This article documents findings from an exploratory study using an arts-centered empathy curriculum implemented with kindergarten and first grade children in an urban afterschool setting.

Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) is emerging as a group counseling practice that focuses on topics that are of personal interest to youth and aims to promote social change. Although YPAR has been found to facilitate critical consciousness, assist with youth self-identity development, and promote social change, few researchers have examined its application in counseling. The present study explored six school counselor trainees’ perceptions of YPAR as a therapeutic intervention and its impact on counseling skill development and how it relates to multicultural and social justice counseling competencies. The themes that resulted from the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis for YPAR as a counseling practice were: (1) fun, interactive, youth-centered approach, not like counseling or therapy, (2) implementation of challenges requiring planning, time, and commitment, (3) collaborative supports to step out of comfort zone, overcome initial hesitancy, and welcome new learning experience, (4) development of counseling skills and confidence as a counselor, and (5) understanding differences and increasing self-awareness and advocacy skills. Discussion and implications for school counseling practice are provided.

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Positive school climate is a key determinant factor of students’ psychological well-being, safety, and academic achievement. Although researchers have examined the validity of school climate measures, there is a dearth of research investigating differences in student perceptions of school climate across race and ethnicity. This study evaluated the factor stability of a widely used school climate survey using factor analyses and measurement invariance techniques across racial/ethnic groups. Results of a confirmatory factor analysis indicated a five-factor structure for a school climate survey and weak measurement invariance was found across Hispanic, Black, and White student groups (ΔCFI = .008). According to paired t-tests, significant differences were found among racial/ethnic respondent groups across two factors: teacher and school effectiveness and sense of belonging and care. Validated school climate measures that are culturally and racially responsive to students’ experiences allow for accurate interpretations of school climate data. Discussion and implications are provided.