Reflecting on the value of arts intensive programing in Yukon territory 1993-1994

The purpose of this study was to look at the importance and value of teaching art in schools. While there are published academic papers that discuss the value of teaching arts at the secondary school level, there has been no study conducted on the MAD (Music, Arts, and Drama) program that was piloted in Whitehorse, Yukon in 1993 – 1994. The researcher was interested in documenting the participants’ experiences in a secondary school immersive arts program that had no set curriculum. The methods of investigation used were questionnaires and interviews with former MAD students who attended the pilot program from 1993 – 1994. The questionnaires and interviews were conducted in the summer of 2017. Out of twelve possible participants contacted via encrypted email, only six of the alumni were available to reflect on their time in the MAD pilot program. The researcher collated the results of the interviews and questionnaires and analyzed them for emergent themes. The researcher found that these six participants had a positive experience in being exposed to an intensive arts program and they felt that by being exposed to arts in a secondary school setting helped them learn, or enhance, 21st century job skills such as creative thinking, problem-solving, collaborative skills, and empathy.