Cory Wilkerson, Scott N. Edgar

Pathways to Joy and Meaning

Pathways to Joy and Meaning is a transformative guide designed for theatre educators seeking to embed Social Emotional Learning (SEL) into their instruction—in the classroom, on the stage, or behind the scenes.

Organized into three main sections—Setting the Stage, Embedding SEL into Theatre Education, and SEL in Practice: "Stories from the Stage"—this book offers practical strategies and sample lesson plans that span all grade levels (K–12), integrating SEL through the three pillars of Identity, Belonging, and Agency.

Covering every aspect of theatre education, from performance to technical theatre, this resource empowers educators to use the core theatre curriculum as a dynamic tool for fostering essential life skills, including self-management, social awareness, and responsible decision-making. The book also addresses critical topics such as diversity, equity, inclusion, and teacher self-care.

An indispensable resource for new and seasoned educators, Pathways to Joy and Meaning is filled with ideas to nurture every student’s social and emotional growth, with applications that extend beyond theatre to benefit arts educators of all kinds.

Cory Wilkerson has been a classroom theatre teacher, performer, director, arts administrator, and arts consultant specializing in curriculum, assessment, and professional development for theatre educators for over thirty years. After operating a small children’s theatre company, Wilkerson transitioned to the classroom, where she taught elementary and middle school students and ran an after-school performance program for ten years. She is currently the Chief Learning Officer for the Educational Theatre Association.

Scott N. Edgar is Associate Professor of Music at Lake Forest College. He is the author of Music Education and Social Emotional Learning: The Heart of Teaching Music and is an internationally sought-after clinician on the topic. Dr. Edgar serves as Director of Practice and Research for The Center for Arts Education and Social Emotional Learning (www.artsedsel.org), is a Music for All Educational Consultant, a Conn-Selmer Educational Clinician, a VH1 Save the Music Foundation Educational Consultant, and serves as SEL Editor for GIA Publications.