# data[].attributes.headline
*Example* Nofuente- What is Social, Emotional, and Academic Development?

# data[].attributes.subject
*Example* Nofuente- What is Social, Emotional, and Academic Development?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Research shows that when schools fully integrate social, emotional, and academic development into K-12 education, academic performance improves, students are more engaged in school, and-as a result-they are more likely to graduate high school and attend and graduate from college. The evidence also shows that students with healthy social and emotional development are more successful in the workforce and experience greater lifetime well-being. See our fact sheet for more research and data about social, emotional, and academic development's benefits for students.

In much the same way that academic skills can be cultivated, research also demonstrates that social and emotional competencies can be nurtured and developed over the course of a student's school experience.

The goal is to prepare students who-among other things-are able to connect with others, make responsible decisions, communicate, solve problems, think critically, be resilient, persevere, and work in teams-many of the same skills that employers tell us through surveys that they are looking for in their workforce.

While a range of language is used to describe this more comprehensive approach to education, the Commission is using social, emotional, and academic development because it emphasizes the need for schools to fully integrate social, emotional, and academic development. Surveys of teachers tell us that large majorities want this integration to boost the success of students.

WHY IT MATTERS

Research demonstrates that making K-12 education a true integration of social, emotional, and academic development matters because it gives students a better chance of thriving in school, career, and life.

A student's ability to focus, manage emotions, and stay engaged, plays a large role in his or her ability to perceive, process, and ultimately learn. Students who can work collaboratively and communicate effectively are better able to harness their academic knowledge to perform in school now and in the workplace later. At the same time, these competencies help young people build the strong relationships that are such a big part of leading a fulfilling life.

WHAT IT TAKES

The Commission's charge is to explore how to make social, emotional, and academic development part of the fabric of every school. But we know that effective social, emotional, and academic development doesn't happen on its own-it requires dedicated commitment from everyone. Just as families and communities foster social, emotional, and academic development, K-12 schools must play a role by incorporating explicit and intentional instruction and rethinking school design and culture. Doing this demands an education system that recognizes how social, emotional, and academic skills and competencies are complementary, and addresses each of them with equal fervor.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What is Social, Emotional, and Academic Development?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Social, emotional, and academic development is the integration of social and emotional development with academic learning in K-12 education. Research shows that when schools fully integrate social, emotional, and academic development into K-12 education, academic performance improves, students are more engaged in school, and-as a result-they are more likely to graduate high school and attend [...]

# data[].attributes.headline
*Example* Nofuente- Explore College Costs

# data[].attributes.subject
*Example* Nofuente- Explore College Costs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The amount you'll pay for college depends on the type of school you plan to attend (public, private, four-year, two-year, trade school) and if you apply for and receive financial aid and scholarships.

This College Cost Chart breaks down the cost of colleges in Nebraska. To find the cost of colleges across the country, use our College Profiles tool.

College costs include:

Tuition and fees.

Housing and food.

Books and supplies.

Personal and transportation expenses.

Tuition and fees can differ for on-campus versus online classes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The amount you'll pay for college depends on the type of school you plan to attend (public, private, four-year, two-year, trade school) and if you apply for

# data[].attributes.headline
*Example* Nofuente- Exploring AI for Communicating and Connecting

# data[].attributes.subject
*Example* Nofuente- Exploring AI for Communicating and Connecting

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Exploring AI for Communicating and Connecting - American School Counselor Association (ASCA)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Imagine a virtual assistant that works tirelessly behind the scenes to support you in your work. This assistant can help you spend less time on mundane tasks and more time directly helping your students. It’s happening now with the power of artificial intelligence (commonly referred to as AI). AI is emerging as a transformative technology, allowing school counselors to focus on what truly matters: helping students achieve and succeed. By investing in AI literacy as part of your ongoing professional development, you can use the power of AI to enhance your practice and improve outcomes for students.

# data[].attributes.headline
*Example* Nofuente- Embrace Student Strengths

# data[].attributes.subject
*Example* Nofuente- Embrace Student Strengths

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Embrace Student Strengths - American School Counselor Association (ASCA)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Human brains have evolved in numerous ways, resulting in neurodiversity – wide variation in neurological differences that include autism, ADHD, dyslexia, mental health and many other conditions. As neurodiversity continues to increase, schools urgently need to shift to a strengths-based approach that highlights the diverse talents, skills and perspectives of neurodiverse individuals, while also using their strengths to support other areas of growth. With such an approach, school counselors can support the brain’s role in students’ abilities to attend, regulate, learn and address their overall wellness.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Assessments can help you choose a good career fit.

# data[].attributes.headline
Embree - Interest Assessment, Skills Matcher, and Work Values Matcher

# data[].attributes.subject
Embree - Interest Assessment, Skills Matcher, and Work Values Matcher

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Made by Minnesota Educators The creators of the curriculum, a group of educators at the St. Croix River Education District, started building Be Good People over Zoom sessions in April 2020. We are honored that this humble "quarantine project" is now supporting students across the world! If you

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore free resources to help you plan, apply, and pay for college. Get expert advice on how to file the FAFSA, apply for scholarships, and get college ready.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
BrainWise has been taught to children, teens, and adults in rural villages in Alaska, India, and China, as well as in schools and agencies throughout the U.S. and Canada and 15 other countries. Its social, emotional, and critical thinking skills are being field tested, taught, texted and integrated interactively online. Educators, parents, counselors, social workers, health professionals, managers, ministers, and others interested in teaching these skills use BrainWise because they know the program's evidence-based approach works.

BrainWise partners include inner-city schools, universities, social service agencies, mental health providers, school districts, justice programs, and health workers.

This wide and diverse acceptance and use of the BrainWise Program validates the valuable outcomes of teaching individuals the skills to help themselves control emotions, process problems, and respond responsibly.

See How BrainWise Will Work For You

Research and Results

Information and input from teachers, instructors, and students, together with decades of scientific-based research in the fields of education and the physical and social sciences, was used to develop and measure BrainWise. Included in this research were findings from studies on youth development, strategies for changing behavior, and techniques for effective teaching. Field tests of the program were conducted over three years with high-risk students, and the feedback from faculty, staff, students, administrators, and parents was used to refine the curricula's content and structure. The result is a program students respond to and whose design allows for easy replication and fidelity to its content.

Interviews conducted with BrainWise instructors include stories about former students who report, years after graduation, that BrainWise skills helped them improve their lives by attending college, getting out of gangs, building better relationships with their families, and learning how to get along with others. Both the instructors and students give credit to BrainWise for helping them make more positive decisions and improving outcomes in their lives.

Research on BrainWise has been published in Adolescent Psychopathology and the Developing Brain: Integrating Brain and Prevention Science, a 2007 book published by Oxford University Press. It contains papers from a 2005 conference held at the University of Pennsylvania that highlighted cutting-edge programs and research on the brain.

A 2018 peer-reviewed paper: Homeless Men Living in Transitional Housing: The BrainWise Curriculum and Improvements in Executive Functions and Coping Self-Sufficiency was published in Sage Open.

For a copies of these papers, please contact us at: info@brainwise-plc.org.
For more information about Research on BrainWise
Research and Results

Products

Developed and tested in schools and programs over the course of years, the BrainWise Method uses innovative teaching techniques, a scripted curriculum, and visuals to teach students a series of foundational social, emotional, and cognitive skills called " The 10 Wise Ways."

The BrainWise organization provides course instructors with a number of teaching tools and services designed to meet a wide range of needs. They include scripted curriculums for students in grades K-5 and grades 6-12, workplace examples for adults that can be integrated into the lesson plans, a companion book for teens, parents and other adults, worksheets in English and Spanish, posters, cards, and bookmarks. Interactive worksheets and supportive materials are available, upon request, for use in online and hybrid instruction.

What makes BrainWise different?

BrainWise simplifies and presents brain research so that children as young as five, as well as teenagers, and adults understand how thinking affects their behavior. The program is easy-to-teach, and its scripted lesson plans, teaching aids, and reinforcement activities lay a foundation that can be integrated into existing curricula, programs, and school, home, and work cultures. The program's concepts and vocabulary address all problems, from playground altercations to workplace hostility, and from hurt feelings to suicidal ideation. Program instructors can easily customize lessons to address problems specific to their students or clients. They are told that practice of 50 or more hours is necessary to insure that BrainWise graduates will retain the skills and use them to make good choices and decisions.

BrainWise has been independently evaluated by academic researchers, a private research company, and government researcher. The results consistently demonstrate that the BrainWise method helps graduates improve their critical thinking, executive functions, and social and emotional learning skills.

BrainWise is recognized internationally as a comprehensive program that teaches critical thinking concepts and executive function skills, applies them to everyday situations, and reinforces them through practice to create new, and lasting, brain pathways. The program's results have been validated by independent research, and its successful outcomes have been presented at national and international academic conferences.

These features distinguish BrainWise, and highlight its effectiveness as a program that problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Is BrainWise an evidence-based program?

BrainWise has an extensive history of applied research and evidence-based evaluations that show program graduates make improvements in behaviors that affect their health and well-being. The program has been evaluated by analysts with a private research company, academics at two universities, and researchers with a state health agency. They used qualitative and quantitative measures, including focus groups, standardized self-administered behavior questionnaires, and instructor assessments. The instruments measured changes is social and emotional behaviors, including executive functions.

Research results show that program graduates - middle school students, high school students, and adults - improved or significantly improved on items that measured problem solving behaviors. The researchers have presented the program's outcomes at national and international academic conferences. A chapter on the BrainWise program is published in Adolescent Psychopathology and the Developing Brain: Integrating Brain and Prevention Research. (Link here to timeline showing Milestones for BrainWise Research.)

Who can benefit from the program?

BrainWise benefits people whose behaviors raise the questions: What was I thinking? What was he thinking? What was she thinking? What were they thinking? Children, youth, and adults need the critical thinking skills BrainWise teaches to help them make better choices and responsible decisions. When they learn and use the 10 Wise Ways, they stop and think before they act. Without them, they use embedded Lizard Brain survival instincts that react to intense emotions.

The program is taught to special needs children and teens, as well as to average and high performing children and teens. And while the benefits for welfare mothers and homeless men are more dramatic, BrainWise has individually helped parents, teachers, health professionals, and employers as well as families, students, clients and patients.

The program's benefits extend across cultures, benefiting youth and adults in China, including women who are targeted by sex traffickers. The U.S. Indian Health Services approved BrainWise as a program that benefits Native Americans and Alaska Natives. It is taught in India, Canada, Taiwan, and other countries to improve health behaviors and prevent suicide, drug and substance abuse, and family violence. The 10 Wise Ways are being taught to help people of all educational and socioeconomic levels. The program's benefits are recognized by educators, parents, caregivers, health providers, behavioral health specialists and others who want to teach critical thinking and decision making skills. (Link her to BrainWise success stories and testimonials.)

Who is using BrainWise?

Individuals who use BrainWise are seeking teaching tools that will help them give their students, clients, and patients skills to make better choices and decisions.
BrainWise is used by kindergarten teachers and college professors, by educators who work with severely developmentally disabled youth, as well as teachers of gifted and talented. It is used by nurses working for home visitation programs and by counselors with drug and alcohol treatment programs. Social workers, behavioral health specialists, therapists, career counselors, principals, professors CEOs and directors use BrainWise. They teach the program to Girl Scouts, teens on probation, incarcerated men and women, elementary school children high school students, broken families, peer educators and homeless women and men. The program is used by public schools and private schools, in court-ordered treatment programs and after school community programs, in church organized parent groups and private businesses. BrainWise is used in the workplace to increase job retention, worker productivity and workplace safety.

To see how BrainWise is being used in a variety of settings, click on the "BrainWise and Your Program" button on the top left side of this page.

If you would like to develop a customized program to fit your particular situation, please contact us at 303-837-0229 or email us at info@brainwise-plc.org with your request.

What do people say about BrainWise?

Testimonials from BrainWise graduates show their support for the program's effectiveness, and express enthusiasm for the way using its skills has helped them. A frequent comment is "I LOVE BrainWise!" followed by examples showing the positive changes they have made. An analysis of testimonials identified themes that included how BrainWise had helped them make better choices, how they are happier after learning the skills, how BrainWise changed their thinking from negative to positive; how helped them become responsible for their actions; and a recommendation that BrainWise be taught to everyone.

Graduates talked about how they feel happier, have skills to control their actions, have learned how to make better choices, how they no longer feel like a victim, and how they have learned to get help when they have a problem. They said that they have fewer problems at school, home, or work, and attribute this to BrainWise.

More dramatic examples include statements about how BrainWise helped participants change behaviors involving substance abuse, how it helped them get help for suicidal thoughts, and how it helped them get out of a gang. Parents who took BrainWise said the skills they learned helped them not hit their children.
To read additional comments from teachers, parents, and students, and to view actual "before and after" drawings by students, click on the "Success Stories" button on the top left side of this page.

How is the program structured?

Developed through careful research and field testing, the curricula and teaching aids were designed to be flexible for instructors and adaptable to fit different populations, school and agency structures, and settings. While developed in a classroom setting for children and teens, the BrainWise Program is adaptable to a variety of demographic groups and programs, including leadership training, the workforce, money management, family health management, parenting, and many other formats.

Program fidelity requires that participants be taught each of the 10 Wise Ways and complete the accompanying worksheets. Additionally, key to retention is having participants gain 50 or more hours of practice using the concepts. Encourage participants to use their BrainWise CPR problem solving worksheets inside and outside the classroom, and have them how reinforce the 10 Wise Ways using daily situations, current events, games, and other activities. Organization create a "BrainWise Culture" where problems are assessed using the programs concepts and terms.

BrainWise concepts are easy to teach, but merely learning the concepts does not mean they will be retained without the necessary practice. To facilitate both the learning of the concepts and their practice, the program is divided into two distinct sections:

Part I - BrainWise: Learn It! This section of the curricula introduces the 10 Wise Ways. The modules can be taught separately or combined. Instructors are encouraged to integrate the concepts into existing materials, as well as to use BrainWise terms for discussing problems as they arise. Use the worksheets for practice, and help participants pull them together by assessing problems using the BrainWise CPR problem solving worksheet. Have participants practice using the skills outside the classroom.

Developed through careful research and field testing, the curricula and teaching aids were designed to be flexible for instructors and adaptable to fit different populations, school and agency structures, and settings.While developed in a classroom setting for children and teens, the BrainWise Program is adaptable to a variety of demographic groups and programs, including leadership training, the workforce, money management, family health management, parenting, and many other formats.

Program fidelity requires that participants be taught each of the 10 Wise Ways and complete the accompanying worksheets.Additionally, key to retention is having participants gain 50 or more hours of practice using the concepts. Encourage participants to use their BrainWise CPR problem solving worksheets inside and outside the classroom, and have them how reinforce the 10 Wise Ways using daily situations, current events, games, and other activities. Organization create a "BrainWise Culture" where problems are assessed using the programs concepts and terms.

BrainWise concepts are easy to teach, but merely learning the concepts does not mean they will be retained without the necessary practice. To facilitate both the learning of the concepts and their practice, the program is divided into two distinct sections:

Part I - BrainWise: Learn It!This section of the curricula introduces the 10 Wise Ways.The modules can be taught separately or combined.Instructors are encouraged to integrate the concepts into existing materials, as well as to use BrainWise terms for discussing problems as they arise.Use the worksheets for practice, and help participants pull them together by assessing problems using the BrainWise CPR problem solving worksheet.Have participants practice using the skills outside the classroom.

Part II - BrainWise: Live it! In the BrainWise Zone!This section provides examples of ways instructors can encourage participants practice using BrainWise CPR by applying them to assess a variety of problems.This includes using the 10 Wise Ways to analyze stories, movies, videos, popular TV shows, advertising, and current events.Other ways to gain practice include creating categories involving the 10 Wise Ways for game templates for shows like Jeopardy! and Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Examples for the latter are available in back issues of the BrainWise newsletter for instructors.

This structure engages participants and uses current events and popular culture to give them opportunities to apply what they have learned to a wide range of situations.The BrainWise CPR Problem Solving Worksheet helps them apply their skills, and can be used as little or often as is necessary for each participant. The result is that students, clients, and patients learn to stop and think and use the 10 Wise Ways to process problems.They learn how to avoid reacting to emotions and impulse.They also learn they have a choice:Use these skills or lose them, leaving the brain to revert to impulsive and reactive Lizard Brain thinking.

In the BrainWise Zone! This section provides examples of ways instructors can encourage participants practice using BrainWise CPR by applying them to assess a variety of problems. This includes using the 10 Wise Ways to analyze stories, movies, videos, popular TV shows, advertising, and current events. Other ways to gain practice include creating categories involving the 10 Wise Ways for game templates for shows like Jeopardy! and Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Examples for the latter are available in back issues of the BrainWise newsletter for instructors.

This structure engages participants and uses current events and popular culture to give them opportunities to apply what they have learned to a wide range of situations. The BrainWise CPR Problem Solving Worksheet helps them apply their skills, and can be used as little or often as is necessary for each participant. The result is that students, clients, and patients learn to stop and think and use the 10 Wise Ways to process problems. They learn how to avoid reacting to emotions and impulse. They also learn they have a choice: Use these skills or lose them, leaving the brain to revert to impulsive and reactive Lizard Brain thinking.

Can BrainWise be integrated into other teaching materials and programs?

BrainWise is praised by instructors for how easy they can integrate into other programs. The program's universal framework is key for its adaptability, as it enables instructors to discuss problem situations appropriate for the ages, academic abilities, and cultural backgrounds of whomever they are teaching. Even though its foundation is rooted in complex brain processes, the program uses concepts and words that are easy to understand. The BrainWise approach can be used to assess personal problems, as well as the problems of characters in stories, movies, videos, TV shows, advertising, and current events.

"Be BrainWise with Money" is an example of how an instructor incorporated the 10 Wise Ways into a money management curses. BrainWise has been integrated into behavioral health courses, substance abuse prevention, leadership classes parenting courses, and others. Instructors teach BrainWise as a foundation, and apply the 10 Wise Ways to whatever problems their students and clients need to address. The program's thinking skills help them solve problems affiliated with family, relationships, school, work and community.

Is BrainWise culturally relevant?

BrainWise is a universal program - everyone needs to learn how to build brain connections to stop and think. Its framework for teaching decision making concepts can be applied to anyone. The program's cross-cultural relevancy is demonstrated by its use in cultures ranging from illiterate women in China targeted by sex traffickers to Native youth and families Alaska at-risk for suicide, substance abuse and violence. BrainWise is being taught to individuals of all ages, educational levels, and mental abilities, as well as cultural backgrounds. In a Colorado high school that serves students from 80 countries, a BrainWise instructor teaches the class to special needs students. BrainWise has been approved by the U.S. Indian Health Services as a program that works to improve the health and well-being of Native Americans and Alaska Natives. This recognition is difficult to obtain, and further proof that BrainWise is culturally relevant.

Can I teach BrainWise?

We welcome all who want to learn how to teach others the skills that underlie problem-solving and making good decisions! Our caveat is that they teach the program with fidelity. This means that they teach each of the 10 Wise Ways in the order they are presented - easy to do with the scripted curriculum and problem solving worksheets. Each chapter clearly sets forth the goal and objectives of each lesson and provides the instructor with age appropriate group teaching activities. The flexible lesson plans allow for individual creativity and also show how to infuse the thinking skills into other subjects and activities outside the classroom.

For lasting results, it is important that students and clients practice using the skills by applying them to problems inside and outside the classroom for a minimum of 50 hours.

Training is available, but is not required. Arrangements can be made for groups interested in obtaining specialized practice, and others can attend training sessions offered throughout the year.

We have found that the best instructors want to teach BrainWise and are committed to teaching it with fidelity. The BrainWise staff and volunteers/instructors are available to help answer questions. Please contact the BrainWise program at info@brainwise-plc.org

How can I make BrainWise work for me and my agency or school?

Thank you for recognizing the importance of having the support of your colleagues to teach BrainWise at your school or agency! If you can create an organization-wide culture where everyone knows and uses BrainWise terms, the critical reinforcement needed for retention will be a given. Every location is different, but the following suggestions used by BrainWise champions have helped them get support for the program:

Understand the benefits of BrainWise. Share this information with others, and identify those who are interested in teaching decision making skills.

Target behaviors important for your potential allies and highlight how BrainWise provides tools to achieve them.

Identify individuals who will be receptive to teaching or reinforcing BrainWise. Send them our newsletters and links to the webpage.

Insert the BrainWise language into your vocabulary. Even people unfamiliar with the program will quickly pick up on using the "wizard brain" vs. the "lizard brain," the "constellation of support", "red flags" and "exiting the emotions elevator."

Make a short presentation on BrainWise. You can contact us for support.

Talk about the changes in behaviors that you have recognized. If you administered pre- and posttests, share the results.

Share BrainWise success stories that are pertinent to your colleagues. The monthly BrainWise newsletter has these kinds of stories, as does the web page.

Engage parents or families of clients as BrainWise advocates.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
BrainWise Program - Critical Thinking & Decision Making Skills for Children

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
BrainWise Program - A proven, evidence-based social and emotional learning program for teaching critical thinking and decision making skills to children.

# data[].attributes.headline
Al-Saadi - Helping Students in Troubling Times

# data[].attributes.subject
Al-Saadi - Helping Students in Troubling Times

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Here are some suggestions and resources to consider as you provide ongoing support to your students. Before you take any action, consult with your district to discover any guidance or response initiatives it has in place so your actions align with school and district programs.

During an emotional period, it is important to remind students that their strong emotions will pass and therefore they must refrain from drastic or risky behaviors that could have long-term consequences. If they feel they’ve suffered an emotional loss, they must give themselves time to heal.

Don’t provide assurances you can’t ensure. If students are fearful, don’t tell them, “Everything will be okay.” For some students, the dangers they fear are very real. However, you can help them find positive ways to address their fears.

Help students process information or images they find inflammatory in print, television and social media. Very often, simply discussing current events can help students develop a better understanding, and expressing their emotions can help students deal with them more effectively.

Encourage all students to treat others with respect and dignity regardless of differences in culture and beliefs. All students deserve to be treated with respect regardless of their political beliefs, socio-economic background, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and other factors.

Take clear actions to intervene with situations of bullying or harassment and review bullying prevention activities. Remind students of school and district policies related to offensive language, harassment and bullying.

Check in with students who may be at risk for bullying and harassment, recognizing that all students have the right to be treated equally and fairly with dignity and respect as unique individuals, free from discrimination, harassment and bullying. Reassure them that there are adults who can help, and work with them to identify those they can go to in a time of need, and encourage them to seek out an adult they trust and are comfortable talking to.

For students experiencing anxiety or sadness, consider ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success such as these.

M 2. Sense of acceptance, respect, support and inclusion for self and others in the school  environment

M 4. Self-confidence in ability to succeed

B-SMS 7. Effective coping skills when faced with a problem

B-SS 2. Positive, respectful and supportive relationships with other students

B-SS 3. Positive relationships with adults to support success

B-SMS 10. Ability to manage transitions and ability to adapt to changing situations and responsibilities

B-SS 1. Effective oral and written communication skills and listening skills

B-SS 6. Effective collaboration and cooperation skills

B-SMS 9. Personal safety skills

Review upcoming topics for classroom lessons to determine any adjustments you could make to address your school’s climate. If you don’t have classroom lessons scheduled in the immediate future, consider adding them to have an impact on a larger group of students.

Consider additional support through small groups for students who may need more in-depth interventions and actively identify those students through needs assessments, faculty referrals, observation or other means.

Consult and collaborate with stakeholders to create a school climate that welcomes and appreciates the strengths and gifts of all students, particularly culturally diverse students.

Consult and collaborate with relevant stakeholders when student assistance is needed, including the identification of early warning signs of student distress. Student privacy should be honored to the greatest extent possible while balancing the best interests of students and the safety of self and others. Review the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors (PDF) when weighing issues of confidentiality.

Consult with parents if you have concerns about a student, and share local referral resources as needed.

Collaborate with teachers and administrators to ensure that information is shared appropriately with those who have a need to know.

Consult with other school counselors and district school counseling supervisors when considering the best approach for supporting a student or when a breach of confidentiality may be necessary.

Provide a safe space for students and allies to discuss fears of safety and well-being. Promote sensitivity and acceptance of diversity among all students and staff to include LGBTQ+ students, immigrants, members of religious minorities and diverse family systems.

ASCA Resources

Standards: ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success (PDF)

Standards: ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors (PDF)

Toolkit: Race and Equity Resources

Model policy: A Framework for Safe and Successful Schools (PDF)

Webinar: Infusing a Caring Climate in Your School

Magazine article: Alleviating Anxiety Through School Counseling Interventions

Journal article: Stories From the Field: Addressing Racism in Schools

Resources Specific to the Events in Ukraine

San Diego County Office of Education
Resources for Educators, Families to Discuss the Events in Ukraine with Students

British Psychological Society
Supporting Children to Manage Anxiety over War, Conflict and Crisis

Save the Children
Ukraine: Five Ways to Talk to Children About Conflict

The New York Times
How to Talk to Kids About Ukraine

Education Week
How to Talk with Students About the Russia-Ukraine War: 5 Teaching Tips
8 Resources Teachers are Using to Discuss Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
How to Help Students Cultivate Hope When Worrisome News is Stressing Them Out

PBS So Cal
How to Talk to Kids About the Ukraine Invasion

Crisis Management Institute
Talking with Youth About Ukraine

National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement
Talking to Children and Teens About the War in Ukraine

Additional Resources for Troubling Times

Anti-Defamation League: 11 Ways Schools Can Help Students Feel Safe in Challenging Times

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Taking Care of Your Emotional Health

The Child Mind Institute: How to Help Children Cope With Frightening News

Education Week: Caring for Students in the Wake of a Traumatic Event

Edutopia: Five Ways to Help Students with Trauma

Facing History and Ourselves: Fostering Civil Discourse: A Guide for Classroom Conversations

Share My Lesson: Navigating Unprecedented History with Students

Learning for Justice
When Bad Things Are Happening
To Sustain the Tough Conversations, Active Listening Must be the Norm
Do Something: Student Tasks

The National Association of School Psychologists: Guidance for Reinforcing Safe, Supportive and Positive School Environments for All Students

National Child Traumatic Stress Network

NPR: What to Say to Kids When the News is Scary

National Center for School Crisis & Bereavement: Talking to Children About Terrorist Attacks and School and Community Shootings in the News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Help Students in Troubling Times Resources - American School Counselor Association (ASCA)

# data[].attributes.headline
Al-Saadi - High School Counselor Resources

# data[].attributes.subject
Al-Saadi - High School Counselor Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Mia Finch, M.Ed.Customer Success Team Lead

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
High school counselors utilize essential tools and resources to effectively support their students. These resources include websites, apps, books, and more, improving how professionals guide and assist students. Both experienced counselors and those new to the field, especially in high school settings, will find the following resources particularly helpful.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Responsive Counselor - The Responsive Counselor

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Social emotional learning and school counseling ideas, tools, and trainings that are research-based., effective., engaging., easy to use. EMOTIONAL SCALING FREEBIE Join the newsletter for tips, ideas, new resources, and get this problems and feelings scale sent right to your inbox! HOW CAN WE HELP Y…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Rebecca Midles sits down with our very own Megan Marcus and Kelley Munger to discuss Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and relationship building. They also penned a great article on their site that you can see here.

In the podcast, they reflect on the distinctions between whole-child, SEL, and trauma-informed practices. "SEL focuses more on behaviors and skills and trauma broadens SEL by bringing in the story or history that a student/teacher brings into the classroom."

You can watch the video and read the full transcript below, or check out all the great episodes on the Getting Smart Podcast page, but our favorite quote from Dr. Kelley Munger is "We can't provide direct instruction or skills training to a child who doesn't feel safe, and we can't ask a teacher to teach SEL skills when they themselves are completely overwhelmed and stressed out in the classroom."

We can't provide direct instruction or skills training to a child who doesn't feel safe, and we can't ask a teacher to teach Social Emotional Learning skills when they themselves are completely overwhelmed and stressed out in the classroom.

Dr. Kelley Munger

Partner, FuelEd

What's the difference between social-emotional learning and trauma-informed practices?

First off, social and emotional learning has generally focused a lot on behaviors and skills. There are, without a doubt, a number of critical social and emotional skills that kids and teachers alike need to learn in order to flourish in life. But where trauma-informed learning and conversations about the whole child differ is that they bring in an individual's personal story and history. The science of relationships teaches us that there is a critical link between an individual's attachment history and their trauma history. In a classroom that looks like:

"What has a student has gone through?" and

"What has a teacher or school leader has gone through".

There's a critical connection between that story and the social and emotional development and skills that that teacher or student brings into a classroom. So when we make that leap to the whole child or whole person, we realize that

we can't simply provide direct instruction skills, training to a child who doesn't feel safe and we can't ask a teacher to teach SEL skills when they themselves are completely overwhelmed or stressed out in the classroom.

Learn about our other programs

Through the work of brilliant people like Dr. Cozolino and Dan Siegel, who is a really important figure in this field, we have learned that making sense of that trauma history, being truly trauma-informed, involves telling a story and then receiving empathy for that story. That's a relational experience.

That's why at FuelEd we take the whole educator perspective. Hearing, understanding, and communicating an understanding of that trauma story is like an enzyme or like yeast in bread - you've got to have it in order to make those social-emotional skills rise and grow.

At the core of this work is understanding our attachment stories - the stories of how we received early care - how we learned who we were. If we learned that we're special, that we belong to someone, to a parent, to a family, or not. This story is so important in setting our early relationship patterns and plays out in everyday life in how we relate to one another.

Think of how an infant engages with the world typically every day. When that infant cries, the parent sees the need, meets the need, and that child moves from distress to calm. Right? This happens a million times a day.

With an infant, that process is called co-regulation and it's foundational to developing self-regulation, a sense of competence, and a sense of self-esteem. We might call it a sense of feeling and we know it is critical to being able to learn, grow, and explore. If, however, there were disruptions, gaps, or unmet needs in that early cycle of co-regulation, that also becomes a story embedded in the biology of that child and will affect the ways in which that child learns and interacts in the world - and certainly how that child interacts with others.

The really cool thing about attachment is that it can change across a person's lifespan, so part of our work at FuelEd is to help educators really experience secure attachment, even if they didn't have that as a child - to have that experience of telling that attachment story, making sense of it, creating coherence in the brain, integrating the story, and receiving empathy. We see it almost as like a bank transfer that can move a story of loss or lack of safety into an experience of relational trust and safety.

Want to curb teacher burnout?

Download our Free Guide

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Join Megan Marcus and Kelley Munger as guests on the Getting Smart Podcast with Rebecca Midles to discuss SEL for Teachers and Relationship Building in classrooms, schools, and districts. From March 12th, 2021.

# data[].attributes.headline
Embree - Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen

# data[].attributes.subject
Embree - Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Book: Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Howard gets into a lot of trouble for not listening. When he becomes a better listener, his life improves dramatically. Tips and lessons and a poster are included. Educator and counselor endorsed..

# data[].attributes.headline
Embree - School Counseling in Nebraska (podcast)

# data[].attributes.subject
Embree - School Counseling in Nebraska (podcast)

# data[].attributes.body
Social-Emotional Lessons for K-12. Omaha Public Schools previously used this curriculum for their advisory lessons in the middle school and high school.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Free College & Career Resources for Educators - Get2College

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
February 11, 2021 A brand-new NCAN resources page focused on K-12 districts and schools is now available. With this collection of material, districts and schools have the necessary tools necessary to start, improve, or expand postsecondary transition services in one easy-to-use place. The page is organized around four key topics: Transforming postsecondary advising Using data to educate students and inform services […]

# data[].attributes.body
I took this from one of our previous modules but I think it is so useful!!!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As an initiative of the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) was created in 2002 to be a central and trusted source of scientific evidence for what works in education.

# data[].attributes.body
Two tools for middle school focus to support AI literacy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Nebraska Extension gives educators tools for AI literacy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For National AI Literacy Day on March 28, Nebraska Extension is one of the many groups across the world participating.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Made by Minnesota Educators The creators of the curriculum, a group of educators at the St. Croix River Education District, started building Be Good People over Zoom sessions in April 2020. We are honored that this humble "quarantine project" is now supporting students across the world! If you

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Made by Minnesota Educators The creators of the curriculum, a group of educators at the St. Croix River Education District, started building Be Good People over Zoom sessions in April 2020. We are honored that this humble "quarantine project" is now supporting students across the world! If you

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore free resources to help you plan, apply, and pay for college. Get expert advice on how to file the FAFSA, apply for scholarships, and get college ready.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We create practical, timely, affordable professional learning to help educators and instructional leaders provide students with a modern, equitable, and quality education.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
NE Career Development Model – Nebraska Department of Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Nebraska Career Connections provides education and career planning resources to bring Nebraskans together - students, parents, educators, adults, and employers. Whether you're planning for life after high school, exploring career options, or creating a portfolio of materials for a job search, this system can provide you with the tools needed.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Lenny Learning * K12 Behavioral Health Curriculum & Tools

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An all-in-one, evidence-based platform for PreK-12 behavioral health & special education. Trusted by schools across the US. Give every kid the right resource at the right time. Built for the kids who need more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Testing Season Strategies for School Counselors and Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Podcast Episode · Counselor Accents · 03/24/2022 · 15m

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
CharacterStrong provides research-based Pre-K through 12th grade social & emotional learning curricula and professional learning services that positively impact lives.

Research-Based Social Emotional Learning and Character Education

Our curricula and professional learning are grounded in research and focused on fostering the Whole Child with vertically-aligned lessons that teach SEL and character, side-by-side.

Character Development

SEL Competencies

Self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

Character education involves developing thoughtful, healthy, and kind human beings. Our character is informed by our personal values and choices.

The tools to give students
what they need.

"CharacterStrong is an impactful program that has made a huge impact in our school, and in my classroom. I have always felt like I had a focus on relationships with my students, but this program takes it to another level."

"I believe it is no longer enough just to teach educational content. We need to start educating the whole child and shape more compassionate human beings. To date, CharacterStrong trainings and curricula are the best way of going about this."

"I am a Mental Health Therapist and have worked in schools for over 40 years. I have seen the desperation, decline, and hopelessness upfront and personal. This has given me the hope that we can help change things."

Georgina H.
Director of School Supports

Ashley G.
Math Teacher

Dyan W.
Educator & Coach

in all

and

Over

And Over

3.2M

students served

100,000

educators Trained

21

countries

50

states

Our Curricula

Each curriculum that CharacterStrong offers is designed by educators, for educators. Relevant, engaging, and easy-to-use.

Research-Based

Plug & play lessons

Comprehensive slide decks

Implementation support

English & Spanish translations

Minimal to no supplies needed

Our Professional Learning

All professional learning options focus on low-burden, high-impact strategies to infuse social & emotional learning into the classroom.

Focused on implementation success

Interactive & engaging

Role-specific trainings

On demand or live

It's more than a curriculum, it's a culture.

It's more than a curriculum,
it's a culture.

# data[].attributes.body
This is just one example of the videos they have of students introducing various careers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Cool Careers - Episode 7: Elementary Teacher

# data[].attributes.body
Specifically for younger grades, this program teaches skills for learning. It could also go under social and emotional as well.