b'Education in the United States today is characterized by accountability and left-brain oriented curricular approaches which prioritize productivity and data driven-results at the expenseofcreativity,innovation,andpersonaldevelopment(Synder&Cooper,2015). However, art education is uniquely positioned to augment personal development through meaningfullearningexperiencesandprovidesopportunitiesforstudentstocreatively communicate their ideas to others. The content of art is unmatched in its ability to engage students in learning about what it is to be human and how to visually express their feelings and emotions (Hobson et al., 2020). When learning is grounded in collaboration and connected to shared values, students become empowered to take responsibility for telling their own stories and the stories of others through artmaking.Communicating Visual Stories through Artmaking Visual storytelling supports students in communicating their ideas through art and promotes critical awareness about the world through the lens of the artist and the interpretation of their art by others (Hobson et al., 2020). Visual storytelling also embraces an active learning stance requiring students to engage at every stage of the artmaking process to construct their own outcomes of what and how they want to communicate. Students direct the execution and exploration of their own ideas, feelings, and stories, while teachers serve as facilitators to support visions that transpire from the students themselves (Kim & Miyamoto, 2013). By engaging in student-centered active learning, students generate their own ideas rather than passivelyabsorbingfactsandinformation(Kohn,2015).Communicatingstoriesthrough student-centered approaches encourages creativity, new perspectives, and increased self-esteem in authentic spaces where students shape their own learning (Synder & Cooper, 2015). When active learning is combined in tandem with collaborative artmaking processes, studentscanengageinreal-worldproblem-solvingtocommunicateideascollectively. Collaboration involves working together towards common goals and requires brainstorming ideas and planning effective ways to visually communicate those ideas to others, with each studentplayingameaningfulroleintheoutcomeofhowtheirstoriesaretold(Lawton, 2014). Likewise, collaborative artmaking is responsive to the stories and lives of individuals (Schlemmer,2017),andtransformstheclassroomspaceintoamutuallysupportive environmentthatcanharnessthepowerofvisualstorytellingandcommunicateshared ideas and values with others. Collaborative artmaking also provides multiple pathways to demonstrateknowledgeandunderstandingandpreparesstudentstocommunicateand work cooperatively with others in 21st century society.36TRENDS 2025'