Cultivating Empathy through Art (Grades 5–12)

Empathy is the act of understanding and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts and experience of another person. Empathy means acknowledging our shared humanity in the face of external differences, and it is key to creating a more just and equitable society. Empathy is an essential life skill, but studies have shown that empathy cannot be taken for granted. As people spend more time communicating digitally and less time learning how to speak and listen to each other, researchers have noted a decrease in empathy. Museums like the Norton Simon are uniquely positioned to foster empathy and bring people of diverse backgrounds together.

These educational resources are intended for students grades 5–12.