Summit

In this lively, interview-style webinar featuring leading SEL practitioners and champions in Massachusetts, participants will learn and share about resources and opportunities that support work to foster the social and emotional growth and well-being of young people, families, and staff across the Commonwealth. Highlights will include:

• No-cost options for professional development and consultation to strengthen SEL and mental health in MA schools and districts
• Peer sharing networks to inform and deepen SEL practice
• Communication campaigns to raise visibility for SEL efforts by communities and organizations
• Advocacy efforts to promote policy to advance SEL and culturally responsive, inclusive education across the Commonwealth

This session explores how schools can utilize the “Eleven Principles” framework to build character and SEL competency and a positive school culture and climate.  Leaders from the New Jersey Alliance for Social, Emotional, and Character Development will provide insights into the process of using the “Eleven Principles” as a school improvement framework and explain the “Schools of Character” process.  Leaders from three New Jersey schools/districts will talk about the benefits that this work has afforded the staff, students, parents, and others in their school community.  Information shared in this session can be used by any school to build SECD competencies whether or not the school plans to apply for recognition as State or National Schools of Character.  New Jersey leads the nation in the number of schools so recognized annually.  Join us and learn how this process can benefit your school community!

There is a “mini-explosion” of wellness rooms going on in different parts of the U.S. SEL4NM, with the support of the LOR Foundation, completed a research project about wellness spaces on New Mexico school campuses. The results of this study have provided an opportunity for SEL4NM to highlight social, emotional learning through recommendations on implementation of wellness spaces to state policy and educational leaders, organizations who support educational efforts, and school community members. Participants will review the information from the research to increase their understanding of wellness spaces. Participants will also have an opportunity to discuss their own experiences with wellness space and/or how they might utilize the recommendations from this study to support wellness spaces as an strategy to enhance mental, social and emotional wellbeing.

Geared toward parents and caregivers, this session will provide an engaging and accessible overview of social and emotional learning’s role in parenting children of all ages and backgrounds. Participants will hear from a panel of parents as they share their real-life stories, including the SEL practices and tools they rely on. Takeaways include access to a toolkit of strategies for parents/caregivers to deepen their connection with their children and build the social and emotional skills of everyone in the home.

All good things start with the individual. Therefore, the best way to take care of the people around us is to make sure we first take care of ourselves. This is the starting point for any social and emotional learning (SEL) initiative. Self-care is the heart of SEL. Educators in K-12 and Higher Education settings are invited to join this SEL Day session led by Dr. Kevin Briggs from the Center for the Promotion of Social and Emotional Learning. Content includes SEL starting points related to self-care, anatomical support for the necessity of self-care, and creating a self-care action plan. An additional resource is an article Dr. Briggs recently published in the Center for Responsive Schools’ Journal of Social and Emotional Learning.

Being a human right now means we might all be operating on an empathy deficit. We field many calls for schools requesting training on all kinds of social-emotional and mental health topics, but when we provide consultation, we find that they often don’t have the requisite skills to participate in consultation or training. This presentation provides simple, immediately implementable skills to practice empathy that you can use for yourself or duplicate to provide to others-even if the idea of practicing empathy is already exhausting to you.

Looking for a practical, engaging and entertaining session? This impressive panel discussion led by Mark Sparvell features the trailblazing Goldie Hawn, Michael Funk from CDE, Dr Kim Schonert-Reichl, Dr Jacqueline Sanderlin, and explores all the latest on SEL research and practice from these prominent leaders in the fields of SEL and education.

SEL4MT has engaged in targeted advocacy that focuses on establishing a clear narrative regarding the need and benefits of Social Emotional Learning (SEL). This narrative consists of the connections that exist between SEL and Career and College Readiness competencies. An additional message focuses on the need for local control as outlined by the Montana constitution. These messages have been drafted as a toolkit to share with various stakeholders; legislatures, superintendents, administrators, school board members, educators, parents, and students. This session will highlight Montana’s unique journey in establishing the need for SEL at all levels (elementary school, middle school, high school, and university).