Today, March 27, 2020 marks the first annual International SEL Day! This is an opportunity to spread the word about the importance and impact of social emotional learning (SEL). Working together, we can raise awareness for SEL, bring on new SEL stakeholders, create artifacts that demonstrate SEL in action, share SEL best practices and more!

Social emotional learning (SEL) changes lives—studies show that SEL improves well-being and academic outcomes, builds positive school climate, and provides children with the necessary skills to excel in today’s workforce. Yet many members of our communities don’t know about SEL yet. At Newark Trust for Education we’re doing our part to change this.

By building environments in which adults can develop their socio-emotional skills and support young people in growing theirs, the Trust increases the number of students across the city who are safe, supported, and successful.

The Trust's commitment to SEL spans all of the environments that young people inhabit—their home, community, and school. 

In homes, during twice-weekly visits over 46 weeks, staff members use culturally relevant approaches to model reading, speaking and play strategies that build strong social-emotional bonds between caregivers and toddlers through our ParentChild+ program. 

In communities, staff members support parent leaders as they engage other parents and community members for six half-day learning sessions trough a partnership with the Abbott Leadership Institute. During the sessions, participants explore the relevance of social and emotional skills in their lives by using and analyzing the skills. Click here to learn more.

In schools, as part of our Safe and Supportive Learning Environments Initiative, staff members assist school-based project teams for at least one year as they develop trauma-informed, multi-tiered systems that support teachers and students in building their social-emotional skills. Click here to view presentations from this year's cohort of schools.

Help Us Celebrate #SELDAY

CASEL CARES is a new initiative that connects the SEL community with experts to address how SEL can be most helpful in today’s circumstances. The first opportunity in this series is a webinar on the inaugural SEL Day featuring Dr. Marc Brackett, CASEL board member and director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Dr. Brackett will help us to explore how we can all be our best possible selves during this stressful time.

  1. SEL and Mental Health Resources During the COVID-19 Outbreak
  2. Family Response to COVID-19 Crisis