The research team of Jenny Millinger of Childsplay, Inc., and Neelima Wagley, PhD, of Arizona State University is among 10 recipients nationwide of a Renée Fleming Neuroarts Investigator Award in support of their work exploring the link between drama and the wellbeing of preschoolers, particularly those who are neurodiverse.
The Arizona Community Neuroarts Coalition is part of a growing national movement born out of the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative. In Arizona and around the country, local coalitions are harnessing arts and aesthetic experiences to improve health, wellbeing, social cohesion, and community resilience.
Millinger is a playwright, deviser, and educator specializing in creating theater with and for young people. She is Associate Artistic Director at Childsplay, a professional theatre for young audiences. For two decades, she has collaborated with researchers at Arizona State University to explore how drama-based learning supports children’s socio-emotional growth and language/literacy development.
Wagley is an assistant professor in the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University and director of the Learning and the Multilingual Brain (LAMB) Lab. Her research focuses on language and literacy development in children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
All about the Arizona Community Neuroarts Coalition: azneuroarts.org.