Keith F. Miller, Jr.

Tyler

Tyler, an early-twentysomething from a suburb north of Detroit, has big dreams of being a musician. But not just any musician. The kind that uses his own vulne... Go Deeper

Hear Me. Feel Me. See Me.

Music. The point of the struggle. The reason behind the pain. The meaning of pleasure. And for those of us who struggle with vulnerability, music opens the flo... Go Deeper

The Intimacy that Keeps Going

We’re all searching. For someone we can reveal our true selves to. For someone we can lower our walls and invite to come in. For someone that will be brave enou... Go Deeper

A Lonely Kind of Beauty

Beauty isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be. For those who don’t feel like they have it, it’s the only thing that matters. For those who seem to have it, it’... Go Deeper

Hany

Hany, an early-twentysomething Pennsylvanian of Lebanese and Venezuelan descent, is an unforgettable storyteller. After he explains how to pronounce his name--... Go Deeper

A Necessary Heartbreak

There’s nothing like the first time you fall in love. That moment your heart skips a beat. That moment you realize you can’t live without that special person. T... Go Deeper

Intimacy: A Connection. A Vibe.

We all have our own ideas of what intimacy is and should be. And although it may be hard to reach a point of consensus, most of those ideas have one thing in co... Go Deeper

Beauty and the Fear of Being Different

Growing up, we all want the same thing: to be liked and feel like we belong. And for those of us who truly are different, whether it’s because we come from a d... Go Deeper

From Rebel to Rock Bottom to Greatness

We’ve all been there--or at least most of us have. The point where we go from obedient to full-on rebel. Where freedom is more important than comfort, the famil... Go Deeper

Andre

Andre, an early-thirtysomething lifestyle photographer enthusiast, knows a thing or two about beauty. With a knack for creating images that are vibrant, jovial... Go Deeper

Pin It on Pinterest

The Healing Literacy Framework

In 2019, Keith F. Miller, Jr., observed something remarkable while running creative writing after school programs in Savannah, GA: Students from all backgrounds didn’t just step outside their comfort zones—they learned, led, and thrived with unmistakable joy. Despite this, Keith heard from students and families that school, even for the high-achievers, was a place they survived, not thrived. This led Keith, through his studies in Educational Psychology, to explore why young people felt empowered to learn, lead, and heal in some spaces but not in others.

Through a qualitative research study involving interviews with high schoolers, fellow teaching artists over a year, in addition to examining creative works from youth journals and performances, Keith found that when young people engage in arts-based healing practices with trusted others (peers and adults), they don’t just cope with their struggles—they transform them, becoming vibrant leaders in the process.

Drawing inspiration from the process of rainbow formation—reflection, refraction, and dispersion—and building off of groundbreaking research from scholars like David Kirkland, Gholdy Muhammad, Bettina Love, Bianca Baldridge, and Shawn Ginwright, Keith developed the Healing Literacy Framework, illustrating how arts-based, community programs are vital in supporting young people as they overcome educational trauma, and, in doing so, can result in transformative partnerships in school and beyond that prove healing is possible for everyone.

Enter, HEALIT

In 2019, Keith F. Miller, Jr., observed something remarkable while running creative writing after school programs in Savannah, GA: Students from all backgrounds didn’t just step outside their comfort zones—they learned, led, and thrived with unmistakable joy. Despite this, Keith heard from students and families that school, even for the high-achievers, was a place they survived, not thrived. This led Keith, through his studies in Educational Psychology, to explore why young people felt empowered to learn, lead, and heal in some spaces but not in others.

Through a qualitative research study involving interviews with high schoolers, fellow teaching artists over a year, in addition to examining creative works from youth journals and performances, Keith found that when young people engage in arts-based healing practices with trusted others (peers and adults), they don’t just cope with their struggles—they transform them, becoming vibrant leaders in the process.

Drawing inspiration from the process of rainbow formation—reflection, refraction, and dispersion—and building off of groundbreaking research from scholars like David Kirkland, Gholdy Muhammad, Bettina Love, Bianca Baldridge, and Shawn Ginwright, Keith developed the Healing Literacy Framework, illustrating how arts-based, community programs are vital in supporting young people as they overcome educational trauma, and, in doing so, can result in transformative partnerships in school and beyond that prove healing is possible for everyone.