Healing Through the Arts: Grief Education for Classrooms with Jennifer Danaher
4:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday,
January 21, 2027
| Johnson County Community College
Part of the KS/MO Kennedy Center Partners in Education program
Free; pre-reservation required
All grade levels
This professional development session explores how arts integration can provide safe, developmentally appropriate opportunities for students to express emotions, build resilience, and foster connection.
Participants will learn practical classroom-ready strategies that weave visual art, music, movement, and drama into grief-informed teacher practices. Whether responding to the loss of a loved one, changes in the family dynamics, community tragedies, or other significant life transitions, educators will leave with tools and resources to create compassionate learning environments where healing, hope, and renewed joy can flourish.
Participants will:
- Gain a foundational understanding of childhood grief and its impact on learning and behavior.
- Explore arts-integrated activities that support emotional expression and resilience.
- Learn trauma-informed strategies for creating supportive classroom communities.
- Leave with ready-to-use lesson ideas and resources that can be adapted across grade levels and content areas.
This session is appropriate for classroom teachers, arts educators, school counselors, instructional coaches, and school leaders seeking meaningful ways to support students through life’s challenges while nurturing creativity and well-being.
Jennifer Danaher is a retired educator with 32 years of experience in elementary education, literacy, and teacher leadership. She retired from the Shawnee Mission School District, spending her last six years in kindergarten. She taught several grade levels and was a district Reading Specialist for ten years, leading literacy initiatives, developing professional learning, and presenting district and state conference sessions on resilience, reading motivation, and student support.
Jennifer’s passion for grief education grew from her own journey through profound loss. Since 2014 she has written the blog “Jenny's Journey Back to Joy,” founded a support group for widows in the Kansas City area called Journey to Joy, and facilitated workshops for widows navigating early grief. Jennifer has her own LLC, Grief to Joy Coaching where she guides others in their grief with healthy, forward-looking, and hopeful strategies that lead to healing and renewed joy. Jennifer is the Director of School Partnerships and Programs for the non-profit Greenheart, Inc. connecting schools with grief education and supports for children, families, and staff experiencing grief and loss.