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Family Engagement: Collaborating with Families of Students with Disabilities

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Family Engagement: Collaborating with Families of Students with Disabilities

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Amaris Lopez #2

This online module demonstrates the crucial role of parental involvement in children’s educational success, and provides parents with strategies to effectively engage and contribute to their child's learning and development.

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IRIS | Page 4: Family Engagement: Collaborating with Families of Students with Disabilities

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The involvement of parents can be a powerful influence on their children's educational success and as such is regarded as a best practice in early childhood instruction.

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Amaris Lopez #1

Youth Collaboratory uses a Positive Youth Development approach to connect youth programs nationwide, starting with family engagement and expanding to build strong community ties. They create tools to support families and help young people develop meaningful connections and positive outcomes.

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Building Community | Youth Collaboratory

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Building CommunityOur work is at its strongest when young people feel grounded in their identity, understand who they are, have a vision for where they are going, and a network of support to help them get there.

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The Inside SEL website offers a range of resources for SEL such as Reintegrating Students to In-Person Learning with SEL and SEL 101. They have a section for Adult SEL where it has resources such as modeling SEL for students and self assessing our own SEL skills as adults! They also have workshops, training and webinars to support the development of adult SEL skills!

Seo Young Ra #2

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Want to learn more about social and emotional learning? Peruse our library of resources.

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SEL4US

Is a great resource to find events, workshop and training session that promotes the importance of SEL in schools and communities. They hold events through out United States and some events were also held in California!

Seo Young Ra #1

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Information about upcoming and past national events to support and advocate for social emotional learning (SEL) around the country.

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#2 Alexis Velasco

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Abstract

Resilience theory provides a framework for studying and understanding how some youths overcome risk exposure and guides the development of interventions for prevention using a strengths-based approach. In this article, we describe basic concepts of the theory, such as promotive factors, and distinguish assets and resources that help youths overcome the negative effects of risk exposure. We also present three models of resilience theory-compensatory, protective, and challenge-and review empirical research on three promotive factors-ethnic identity, social support, and prosocial involvement-that include individual, family, and community levels of analysis and have modifiable qualities for informing interventions. Finally, we present examples of how research findings from the three promotive factors can be translated into interventions to enhance youth development.

Resilience theory focuses on positive youth development in the face of risk and provides a conceptual framework for studying and understanding why some youths grow up to be healthy adults despite exposure to risk ( Garmezy, 1991; Masten, 1994; Rutter, 1987; Werner & Smith, 1982; Zimmerman & Brenner, 2010). Resilience occurs when environmental, social, and individual factors interrupt the trajectory from risk to pathology. Such variables have been called promotive factors ( Fergus & Zimmerman, 2005) because they are associated with positive development and help youths overcome adversity. Resilience theory also emphasizes a strengths-based approach to developing preventive interventions because it concentrates on enhancing promotive factors instead of on reducing exposure to risk or ameliorating deficits in youths.

Three basic conceptual/theoretical models-compensatory, protective, and challenge-have guided resilience research ( Fergus & Zimmerman, 2005; Garmezy et al., 1984; Masten, et al., 2007). These models provide frameworks for understanding how promotive factors may operate in the presence of risk or with each other to reduce negative outcomes or enhance positive development. The compensatory model describes a process in which promotive factors counteract exposure to risk through an opposite, direct, and independent effect on outcomes. This can be assessed by examining the main effects of the promotive factor in a regression equation. In one study, youths with friends who got into fights (risk factor) were more likely to engage in violent behaviors themselves, however mothers' support compensated for this risk factor because it predicted less violent behavior independent of friends' behavior ( Zimmerman, Steinman, & Rowe, 1998).

The protective factor model refers to processes in which promotive factors moderate the negative effects of risks for predicting negative outcomes. In this model, promotive factors are called protective factors to distinguish them from promotive factors that only compensate for risk exposure. Protective factors, unlike compensatory factors, modify the effects of risks in an interactive fashion ( Rutter, 1987). Protective effects can be tested by including a multiplicative term of the risk and promotive factors in a regression equation. In one study, for example, the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and stress was reduced for urban youths who reported active coping ( Schmeelk-Cone, Zimmerman, & Abelson, 2003). Thus, active coping was a protective factor for physiological stress associated with lower SES. Protective factors may also operate to enhance other promotive factors in a protective-protective model. In another study, self-esteem enhanced the positive effects of enculturation (i.e., connection to traditional culture) for predicting less adolescent alcohol use among Native American youths ( Zimmerman et al., 1995).

The challenge model operates as inoculation, with exposure to average levels of risk actually helping youths overcome subsequent exposure. The initial exposure to risk must be challenging enough to help youths develop the coping mechanisms to overcome its effects, but not so taxing that it overwhelms their efforts to cope. For example, interpersonal conflict that is resolved amicably can help youths overcome social tensions to avoid a violent response in a later, more heated social disagreement. The challenge model has not been studied extensively because it requires testing the quadratic term using growth curve modeling with longitudinal data and knowledge of variation in risk exposure over time.

Theorists have elaborated these three basic models ( Luthar, 2006; Masten et al., 2007), focusing on different pathways after trauma ( Masten & Narayan, 2012) and the role of early resilience on long-term developmental outcomes ( Masten & Cicchetti, 2010; Masten, et al., 2010). Research that does not use a theoretically driven model of resilience can result in cataloging factors associated with positive youth development but fail to identify mechanisms of change. This omission is a critical oversight because resilience theory implies use of data analytic strategies to test specific models, such as those described earlier, that detail mechanisms by which different types of promotive factors operate (e.g., offsetting or interacting with risks).

Understanding how promotive factors operate in conjunction with risk is also vital for intervention research. Promotive factors have been identified as assets or resources ( Fergus & Zimmerman, 2005). Assets are factors within individuals such as efficacy, identity, and orientation to the future. Resources are factors that are external to the individual such as adult mentors and opportunity structures. Promotive assets and resources can be integrated through involvement in prosocial activities because participation requires both individual initiative and external opportunity structures. Thus, assets, resources, and their integration provide youths with the individual and contextual attributes needed to promote healthy development in the face of risk. We present empirical examples from our research on ethnic identity, social support, and prosocial involvement as examples of promotive assets, resources, and their integration, respectively. These three promotive factors were selected because they cut across ecological levels, have modifiable qualities, and helped inform two interventions we describe.

Asset: Racial Identity

Researchers have examined ethnic identity as an individual promotive factor (asset) as it relates to different youth outcomes ( Quintana, 2007). For youths of color, developing an ethnic, cultural, or racial identity is a critical developmental task that must be negotiated while becoming independent from parents and navigating changes associated with puberty. Youths of color must resolve two primary ethnic identity conflicts: 1) stereotyping and prejudice toward themselves and their group, and 2) confronting two sets of norms and values-their own culture and that of the larger society ( Phinney, Lochner, & Murphy, 1990). The significance and meaning individuals attribute to being Black may be critical to their psychological well-being ( Caldwell et al, 2002). In a study supporting the risk-protective model of resilience, the negative effects of discrimination on distress were moderated by adolescents' feelings that being Black was central to their identity ( Sellers et al., 2003). In a study of racial discrimination and violent behavior, racial identity was a protective factor-racial identity moderated the negative effects of risks ( Caldwell et al., 2004a): For African American males, the negative effects of discrimination on violent behavior were diminished among the young men for whom race was central to their identity. These studies suggest that ethnic identity can be a vital asset to help non-White youths overcome exposure to risk that is associated with racial injustice.

Resource: Relationships With Adults

Relationships with caring adults have been identified as critical promotive resources for children and adolescents. These relationships can include connections to parents (or caregivers) and other caring adults such as mentors. Several researchers have found that parent-family connectedness and support help compensate for exposure to risk across a range of negative outcomes. In a test of the compensatory model of resilience, parental support and family involvement counteracted the negative effects of economic disadvantage for predicting condom use among urban African American youths ( Elkington, Bauermeister, & Zimmerman, 2011). In another study, fathers' support protected youths from the negative effects of depression on suicide ideation ( Tarver et al., 2004). Similarly, mothers and fathers helped reduce the influence of peers' violent behavior for predicting their child's violent behavior ( Zimmerman et al., 1998). In that study, more support from parents was associated with less violent behavior in youths who had witnessed a lot of violence. In an example of a protective-protective model where two promotive factors interact to enhance outcomes, yet another study found that positive attitudes about African Americans enhanced the positive effects of fathers' support for predicting less alcohol use among African American adolescents ( Caldwell et al., 2004b).

Mentoring relationships (i.e., supportive, encouraging, and helpful nonfamily adults) also help youths overcome exposure to risk. Natural mentors had a compensatory effect on problem behaviors for African American youths ( Zimmerman, Bingenheimer, & Notaro, 2002). Mentors also had a protective (moderating) effect on the negative influences of friends on school attitudes. In a study of African American adolescent mothers, having a natural mentor moderated the effects of stress on mental health problems over time, supporting the risk-protective model of resilience ( Hurd & Zimmerman, 2010). In another study, relationships with natural mentors promoted more positive long-term educational attainment by enhancing the effects of racial identity on participants' attitudes about the importance of doing well in school for future success ( Hurd et al., 2012). Overall, these findings support the critical role caring adults play in helping youths overcome adversity in their lives.

Integrated Assets and Resources: Prosocial Involvement

Prosocial involvement refers to participation in organized activities that promote healthy development. This type of participation integrates assets and resources because it involves individual behavior in external structures that provide opportunities for participation. Participation in extracurricular activities in school, church, and community settings holds promise for promoting healthy youth development because these activities occur in safe and structured environments; expose youths to positive peer and adult role models; help them develop a sense of community; and offer opportunities to explore areas of interest, acquire skills, develop talents, and experience success ( Lerner, Almerigi, Theokas, & Lerner, 2005; Mahoney, Larson, & Eccles, 2005). Prosocial involvement also has positive effects on health behavior and is associated with fewer problem behaviors ( Eccles, Barber, Stone, & Hunt, 2003; Lerner, Almerigi, et al., 2005). In a study of protective factor models, youths living in disadvantaged neighborhoods were less likely to smoke cigarettes if they were involved in prosocial activities ( Xue et al., 2007). Participating in positive activities enhances youths' resilience by providing the circumstances to develop cognitive and behavioral assets that help overcome adversity, and resources that create the opportunity structures for youth involvement.

Applications for Prevention

A resilience approach to prevention is a strengths-based method that focuses on enhancing both assets and resources. Resilience research on the compensatory and protective effects of ethnic identity, adult support, and prosocial involvement helped inform the development of an after-school program for preventing youth violence ( Zimmerman, Stewart, Morrel-Samuels, Franzen, & Reischl, 2011). The program, Youth Empowerment Solutions for Peaceful Communities (YES), was designed to help middle school youths strengthen their African American identity, work with adults, and develop and implement community improvement projects. Consistent with empirical findings and resilience theory, the curriculum focuses on supporting and building youths' assets and resources, and creating opportunities for youths to learn through action and working with adults. YES involves youths in the process of changing community physical and social environments through both ethnic identity socialization and working with adults to implement their change projects. The after-school activities include six units of interactive workshops that help youths develop personal assets and social resources. They learn skills for planning and implementing a community improvement project, and they learn about their ethnic background and history (for more information about the curriculum, see http://prc.sph.umich.edu/research/yes/curriculum/). The curriculum also includes working with adults to develop supportive relationships with nonfamily adults and create settings for natural mentoring relationships to develop.

We found preliminary evidence of effectiveness of the YES after-school program for community-level outcomes ( Reischl, et al., 2011). Areas around project sites had fewer police incidents when the project was completed than before the project was started. Property ratings of lots adjacent to project sites were slightly improved after the project compared to before. Youths in the program also reported more conflict resolution behaviors and more conflict avoidance behaviors than youths not in the program.

Another resilience-based intervention that focuses on ethnic identity, adult support, and prosocial behavior is the Fathers and Sons Project ( Caldwell, De Loney, Mincy, Klempin, Brooks, & Rafferty, 2011). This program focuses on nonresidential African American fathers and their 8- to12-year-old sons. The intervention, designed to strengthen the father-son bond and promote positive youth development, includes cultural awareness, communication skills, and service learning that involves father-son dyads working together on a community improvement project. The fathers and sons also collaborate on creating culturally inspired products during the intervention (for more information, see http://prc.sph.umich.edu/research/fathers-and-sons/). This program includes 45 contact hours over 15 sessions and a booster session for graduates. In an evaluation that compared 158 intervention dyads to 129 waitlisted father-son pairs, the intervention increased father-son communication and race-focused socialization ( Caldwell, Rafferty, J Reischl, De Loney, & Brooks, 2010). Sons in the intervention also reported more monitoring by their fathers compared to sons in the nonintervention control group, and intervention fathers reported more monitoring of their sons' behaviors than dads in the control group.

Other youth violence prevention interventions have also incorporated ethnic identity, social support, and prosocial involvement, either implicitly or explicitly. The Aban Aya Youth Project focused on preventing externalizing behaviors among African American youths by incorporating components for ethnic identity, social support, and prosocial involvement ( Flay, Graumlich, Segawa, Burns, & Holliday, 2004). This intervention included activities that addressed African American cultural values; featured history and literature; promoted healthy, supportive relationships between parents and youths; and engaged youths in prosocial community activities. Youths in the Aban Aya Youth Project served on a coalition with parents, community members, and researchers to inform program implementation, change school policies, and garner support of community organizations for local changes ( Ngwe, Liu, Flay, & Segawa, 2004). Youths who participated in the intervention that included all three promotive factors reported less violent behavior, drug use, and sexual intercourse than youths in the comparison group ( Flay et al., 2004).

Another intervention that included ethnic identity, adult support, and prosocial involvement was Understanding Violence (UV), a school-based violence-prevention program in Boston-area communities with high rates of violence ( Nikitopoulos, Waters, Collins, & Watts, 2009). Although the UV curriculum did not address explicitly ethnic identity, it included discussions of stereotypes and unique challenges facing African American adolescents. Youths also discussed with supportive, caring adults how violence and gangs affected their lives. Prosocial involvement was incorporated through a youth-led community event to raise awareness about the effects of violence on children and adolescents. This activity gave students an opportunity to build relationships and organize as they sought support ( Nikitopoulos et al., 2009). The program had positive effects on youths' attitudes and understanding of violence, and their ability to cope with community violence ( Nikitopoulos et al., 2009).

The four programs we have described-Youth Empowerment Solutions for Peaceful Communities, the Fathers and Sons Project, the Aban Aya Youth Project, and Understanding Violence-focus on enhancing youth assets and resources by engaging in prosocial activities that help them develop ethnic identity and connect with adult allies.

Looking Ahead

Resilience research has grown over the last decade, but several innovations must occur to move the field forward. First, longitudinal research that examines the effects of change over time in cumulative promotive factors would be informative. Longitudinal research could also focus on the developmental timing of different promotive factors for compensating or protecting against risks. This research could help identify the ages when some promotive factors may become more or less important. Second, we need more detailed analyses of cumulative effects by developing and testing different strategies for adding the effects of various promotive factors. This might include the development of weighting schemes to identify factors that may be more influential than others. Combining longitudinal analytic strategies with more detailed analysis of cumulative effects could also provide a useful approach to a cascade analysis that examines influences on developmental outcomes across ecological domains (e.g., social and academic functioning; Masten & Cicchetti, 2010). Developmental cascades are the cumulative developmental effects that spread and interact across domains of influence (i.e., ecological levels of analysis) and over time ( Masten et al., 2010). Thus, cascade analysis would include modeling and testing the effects of change over time in protective factors for different children and in different settings that could promote diverse developmental outcomes. It is likely, for example, that within families, fathers and mothers may have more or less influence on a cascading effect depending on the characteristics of the child (e.g., age, sex) and the outcome of interest (e.g., internalizing vs. externalizing behavior).

Resilience research has been somewhat limited because it largely includes analysis of single risk and promotive factors. In an examination of risk accumulation that created a cumulative risk score based on 10 environmental variables (e.g., stressful life events, poor parenting, family history of mental illness), exposure to multiple risks posed too great of a challenge for youths to overcome ( Sameroff & Rosenblum, 2006). This cumulative approach to studying risk led researchers to begin to treat promotive factors in the same way. In a study of cumulative risk and promotive factors for predicting adolescent alcohol and drug use among urban African American youths, a cumulative promotive factor index that included factors across ecological levels (e.g., individual characteristics, peer influence, and parental/familial influences) operated in a compensatory and protective fashion for reducing the effects of cumulative risks (which also included factors across ecological levels) ( Ostaszewski & Zimmerman, 2006). In other analyses of this sample, trajectory analysis was included to test the associations of trajectories of cumulative risk and promotive factors for predicting youths' violent behavior ( Stoddard, Zimmerman, & Bauermeister, 2012). The promotive index change over time moderated the negative effects of cumulative risk index over time. A cumulative ecological approach for studying resilience is consistent with the notion of developmental cascades ( Masten & Cicchetti, 2010; Sapienza & Masten, 2011), but this work did not examine how the ecological levels may have influenced each other over time as a cascade analysis would. A cumulative approach to resilience research that also considers longitudinal effects across ecological domains will further contribute to our understanding of the resilience process and inform more tailored interventions for youths.

Conclusions

Resilience theory is a strengths-based conceptual framework that focuses on how promotive factors help disrupt the path from risk to negative outcomes. Resilience theory can also guide the development of prevention programs designed to enhance promotive factors that help youths overcome the deleterious consequences of risks. In this article, we focused on the promotive factors of ethnic identity, social support, and prosocial involvement because they represent individual, family, and contextual influences that can change. Prevention strategies that focus on resilience translate research into programs that help strengthen individual assets and contextual resources that help youths overcome adversity.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse Grant DA07484, the MI Youth Violence Prevention Center Grant Number 5U01CE001957-02 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under Award Number UL1TR000433. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or CDC.

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Adolescent Resilience: Promotive Factors That Inform Prevention

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Resilience theory provides a framework for studying and understanding how some youths overcome risk exposure and guides the development of interventions for prevention using a strengths-based approach. In this article, we describe basic concepts of the ...

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This website provides videos on how to build a community with your students and how to encourage them to take risks.

Alexis Velasco #1

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For students to feel empowered to share ideas freely, instructors must work to foster a classroom culture that is both caring and challenging, safe and supportive. Such a culture seldom materializes by happenstance, and building it must be a sustained effort throughout the semester. With community in mind, effective instructors consider how to set up the physical environment, how to encourage intellectual risk-taking, and how to model appropriate discussion behaviors, such as active listening and responding to one another respectfully.

How might we get to know our students better so we understand their prior experiences and content knowledge? How do we set a tone in which students are unafraid to share ideas, even if they may not be "right"? What steps can we take so that in-class discussion flows more like a conversation wherein students respond to each other's ideas rather than simply looking to their professor for affirmation? In these videos, featured professors describe actions they take to build community in their discussion- and lecture-based classrooms.

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For students to feel empowered to share ideas freely, instructors must work to foster a classroom culture that is both caring and challenging, safe and supportive. Such a culture seldom materializes by happenstance, and building it must be a sustained effort throughout the semester.

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Independent study from trauma informed remote learning 

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Independent study from trauma informed remote learning 

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DeeAnna Jurand #2

This is about how to stay informed about trauma through a course and how COVID-19 affected a lot of the students

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DeeAnna Jurand #1

This is about how to prioritize Adult SEL and how to better foster Adult SEL by offering activities.

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Fostering Adult SEL: 3 Social-Emotional Learning Activities for Educators

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Strengthening teacher capacity for SEL is a key part of professional development. Here are 3 adult SEL activities your school can use this academic year.

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Christopher H #2

I believe this is a good source for SEL. The website has a lot of articles/activities with self regulation. As educators I believe we should be able to provide some techniques and strategies for our students as they learn to work with their emotions.

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Updated: April, 2022
© 2022 Think Social Publishing, Inc.

Teachers, clinicians, and parents sometimes need to work on their own self-regulation as much, or even more, than kids. Superflex and the UnthinkaBots (formally called Unthinkables) are one fun and motivating way to think about our own self-awareness and self-regulation while mindfully teaching our students as well.

Brady is an active and adventurous nine-year-old who spends the majority of his time in a general education classroom with 31 other kids, one teacher, one educational assistant, and one parent volunteer. He receives a little extra support for social skills outside the classroom once a week. In the classroom, Brady has strong interests and shows relative strengths in science and math compared to challenges in language arts. Unfortunately, this mismatch in academic abilities means that Brady is engaged, focused, and usually has good participation in science but is equally unengaged, seen as disruptive, and avoidant during most language arts lessons. Brady's behavior during this time is usually described as distracting and frustrating for the teacher, adults in the room, and other students.

The good news is that Brady and his class just finished lessons related to storybook one in the Superflex series (You are a Social Detective!). They are just beginning to learn about their own super flexible powers using the Superflex Curriculum.

The bad news is that the teaching jumped to learning about the UnthinkaBots' and their powers. Brady and the other kids love imagining the tricks that the UnthinkaBots play on others and the adults love seeing their excitement for learning. Brady's teacher often talks with other teachers about which of the UnthinkaBots are in her brain and she is having fun teaching the kids and learning about herself. Kids are learning, adults are learning.... What could possibly go wrong? The following example is exactly what can go wrong when teaching using the Superflex Curriculum:

10:45 am: Teacher brings in the latest science kit

Brady: [Stands up and does what he describes as his happy dance]

Teacher: "Brady, take a seat please."

Brady: "I can't help it. My body is celebrating science." [kids all laugh]

Teacher: "Please don't be a WasFunnyOnce!"

Brady: [Leans on the table with one knee on his chair]

Teacher: "I asked you to sit in your seat. Stop being a Rock Brain."

2:00 pm: Teacher announces language arts lesson

Brady: [Looks out the window at a group of kids in gym class]

Aide: "What are you supposed to be doing?"

Brady: [Continues to look out window]

Aide: "Brady, look around at the other kids. What should you be doing?
Looks like you turned intoBrain Eater. What do you need to do right now? Please take out your notebook now!"

Brady: [Slams his hands on the desk] Yells, "I hate this!"
[Gets notebook, crumples up paper, and throws it on the floor]

Aide: "Hey Brady, You look like a Glassman right now."

What could go wrong? The examples listed above show us what we should NEVER do. Helping kids learn to self-awareness and problem-solving to self-regulate is not about telling kids what they are doing is wrong (even if in a playful manner). From our experience, there are three common misspeaks or mistakes that interventionists stumble into when introducing or using the Superflex Curriculum. Here they are, along with some suggestions for what to do instead:

1. Using UnthinkaBot names to call out, shame or label children: Never use the names of UnthinkaBots (e.g., Rock Brain, Mean Bean (formally Jean/Gene), Worry Wall, etc.) in place of a child's name. The UnthinkaBot names represent their imaginary creatures and pretend powers. We all have UnthinkaBots and Thinkables in our brains and teaching about them can be fun but teaching in this manner is incorrect and inappropriate. When the Superflex Curriculum is taught well, the UnthinkaBots' powers help all of us develop stronger self-awareness of our own social goals. Kids learn to transform themselves into their own unique Superflex and develop Thinkable strategies to overcome the powers of the UnthinkaBots.

Try this instead: Be proactive rather than reactive by noticing the buildup in a child's behavior-both negative and positive. Research tells us that we can't help but notice negative behaviors, but what we do with that once we notice is our choice. In our attempt to keep our classrooms and groups running, we tend to address negative behaviors in a swift and corrective manner. But we can work on being more proactive by first noticing the micro-behaviors that may occur prior to a big blowout or shutdown. Kids may sigh, tense their bodies, grumble, retreat into their own thoughts, or exhibit a host of other signs that tell us they are not in a good place. These are a signal for us to be proactive in helping them access their strategies (note: we need to have previously taught them strategies before expecting kids to use them!). Focus your time on teaching strategies to become more superflexible, rather than on their negative behaviors. Also, be conscious about noticing their efforts, commenting on their attempts to participate and draw attention to the micro-behaviors that show kids are trying to access their strategies.

Example: [Brady sighs and mumbles when the teacher says it is time for science. He just started having time on the computer].

Teacher: "Oh no, I think Rock Brain is on the loose in the classroom right now. Let's all be ready! This UnthinkaBot make us feel stuck doing what we are doing. Anybody in the group feeling stuck?"

[Three other kids on the computers raise their hands]

Aide: "Alright, let's make sure that Rock Brain doesn't get into our brains to make us stuck! Everybody know your Thinkable T-Flex strategy? Let me know if you need help remembering it."

Try this too: Prime students to think about which UnthinkaBots might try to show up during a lesson. Have them use their social detective skills to make smart guesses based on past experiences and predictive logic. This sort of priming only takes a few minutes on the front end of a lesson and allows students to think about, predict, and prepare for the inevitable presence of UnthinkaBots. This short amount of time will surely be recouped if the end result is that kids are more aware of their words and actions, and eventually are able to defeat their UnthinkaBots in the moment.

Teacher says, "It's just about time for math groups. As a class, let's try to figure out which Unthinkables might try to get into our brains. Let's ask, 'What do we know about math groups and our history with UnthinkaBots? Which one is most likely to show up and why? Are we ready? Do we have our strategies ready to manage them?'"

2. Not knowing who YOUR UnthinkaBots are and when they show up! There is something really ironic about trying to teach students to be flexible and calm when we, the adults, struggle with our own UnthinkaBots.

Try this: Take the time to think about and know what awakens the UnthinkaBot powers in your brain. Model how to use your own flexible strategies to avoid negative interactions with your students. It is always worthwhile to think about what makes us go into "behavior correction mode." For some of us, it's when a kid blurts while we are talking, while others of us react to kids not paying attention or having a meltdown. Regardless, if you know it then you can prepare to use your own inner voice/coach to remind you when to let it go or try another route. Sometimes, we find that the adults are the ones who struggle to be flexible and leave the UnthinkaBots out of the lesson or activity.

For example: Aide thinks, "Ok, time for math groups and I'll be working with Cole. He struggles to stay focused, and I really lost my patience with him. So today I'm going to take a couple of deep breaths and use my inner coach to stay calm to keep my own Glassman UnthinkaBot away from math with Cole."

3. Not recognizing that kids can develop UnthinkaBot fatigue! There is a point when a child (or any of us) just get tired of hearing that we need to work on something. Focusing on UnthinkaBots without balancing Thinkable powers can be exhausting. After all, we are all human. And not all kids are motivated or interested in superheroes. Please consider this!

Try this instead: Infuse language to recognize the positive Thinkable strategies often! We developed Thinkables to help interventionists shift their observations of kids' behaviors to include the positive as well as help kids describe their own proactive strategies and powers. No matter how small the positive, recognize the student for their efforts and little steps toward understanding and self-regulation.

Note: Please take the time to understand students' perspective, strengths, and vulnerabilities-including anxiety, trauma, learning differences, etc. Remember that your words and actions truly matter.

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Self-Regulation Strategies for the Interventionist: Managing Our Own Rock Brain Powers

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It's wonderful that so many interventionists are teaching self-regulation strategies and flexible thinking using Superflex and the cast of UnthinkaBots (formally called Unthinkables) and Thinkables! But the way we use our words to call attention to a student's behaviors can make the difference between supportive versus punitive teaching.

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Christopher H #1

I found this source very interesting, because personally I work in a school community where poverty is high, and like the article mentions low income families often have parent(s) working two jobs, which can impact the families involvement with the school community.

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How Can High-Poverty Schools Engage Families and the Community?

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High-poverty schools can involve students’ families through home visits and by joining the community’s safety net to provide social and medical services for those in need.

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Helpline Youth Counseling, Inc. is thrilled to announce that we are organizing our community Mental Health Fair on Thursday, May 30th, 2024, from 4 pm to 8 pm at Liberty Community Plaza in Whittier. This event is entirely FREE. Our goal is to provide informative you with a family-friendly environment, food, engaging activities to win prizes while showcasing the excellent work of local businesses, organizations, and nonprofits that offer resources and services that promote optimal health for everyone.

Helpline Youth Counseling, Inc. se complace en anunciar que estamos organizando nuestra Feria Anual de Salud Mental. El evento sera el Jueves 30 de Mayo del 2024, de 4 p.m. a 8 p.m. en Liberty Community Plaza en Whittier. Este evento es totalmente GRATUITO. Nuestro objetivo es proporcionarles un ambiente familiar donde podrán disfrutar de comida, actividades interactivas para ganar premios y al mismo tiempo tendrán la oportunidad de descubrir el excelente trabajo de empresas locales, y organizaciones que ofrecen recursos y servicios a nuestra comunidad promoviendo una salud óptima para todos.

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Mental Health Fair - Helpline Youth Counseling

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Helpline Youth Counseling, Inc. is thrilled to announce that we are organizing our community Mental Health Fair on Thursday, May 30th, 2024, from 4 pm to 8 pm at Liberty Community Plaza in Whittier. This event is entirely FREE.

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Los Angeles LGBT Center - A Safe Welcoming Space for LGBTQ+

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The Los Angeles LGBT Center is a safe and welcoming place where the LGBTQ+ community finds help, hope, and support when it is needed the most.

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AYC serves youth and families in the San Gabriel Valley, offering programs that support academic success, leadership development, and SEL. They work with local schools and community organizations to provide comprehensive support services.

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PEF partners with Pasadena Unified School District to enhance educational programs, including SEL initiatives. They support various projects and activities aimed at improving student well-being and community engagement.

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Summer Enrichment Program

Create. Explore. Learn.

Celebrating 20 years of providing our community's children an exciting summer opportunity to create, explore, and learn. Through a unique mix of academic subjects combined with hands on activities our students can learn to cook, explore a new language, build a rocket, write a play, program a robot, learn tennis, design with 3D printers, and so much more!

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Pasadena Educational Foundation - Supporting the schools of Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre.

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Create. Explore. Learn. Celebrating 20 years of providing our community's children an exciting summer opportunity to create, explore, and learn. Through a unique mix of academic subjects combined with hands on activities our students can learn to cook, explore a new language, build a rocket, write a play, program a robot, learn tennis, design with 3D printers, and so much more!

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Edutopia offers a comprehensive guide for professional development in SEL. This resource includes training modules, videos, and articles designed to help educators integrate SEL into their teaching practices.

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Find resources to help students manage their emotions, resolve conflicts, and make responsible decisions—creating the healthiest school culture possible.

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Professional Learning Services from ASCD

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Professional Learning Services from ASCD

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ASCD provides a variety of professional learning opportunities, including webinars, online courses, and workshops focused on SEL.

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Areas of Expertise:

Building Teacher Capacity Cadre Member

Understanding by Design Cadre Member

Systems Audits, Strategic Planning & Coaching

Instructional Leadership

Formative Assessment

Equity

Ann Cunningham-Morris has served educators for over 40 years. She is the former director of professional learning for ASCD. She has also been a district-level administrator, school-based administrator, teacher leader, and classroom teacher in Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Illinois, and California. Additionally, Cunningham-Morris is an ASCD faculty member and independent consultant. She has served many school systems throughout the world in the areas of leadership development, social-emotional learning, equity best practices, classroom management best practices, instructional best practices, unit/lesson/curriculum development, effective PLCs, instructional coaching/teacher leadership, formative assessment, and strategic planning. She has written articles, blogs, and provided expert interviews on these topics for a variety of professional publications. Cunningham-Morris is also co-author of the book, The Principal Influence: A Framework for Developing Leadership Capacity in Principals, published by ASCD.

Cunningham-Morris received a bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia and a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from Georgia State University. She has completed the Certificate of Advanced Studies/Ed.S program and post-graduate work in educational leadership at Illinois State University, the nonprofit executive leadership program at Georgetown University and most recently, a certificate in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of South Florida MUMA College of Business.

Understanding by Design is a registered trademark of Backward Design LLC.

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Professional Learning Services from ASCD

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Unlock your school's potential with expert-led professional learning from ASCD + ISTE.

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Angelica Alvarado #3

The National SEL Conference is an annual event that brings awareness and answers to educators, administrators, and researchers to focus on social and emotional learning! The event offers keynote speakers, workshops, panels and networking opportunities!

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Greater Good Science Center @ UC Berkeley 

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Greater Good Science Center @ UC Berkeley 

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Angelica Alvarado #4

Hi everyone! GGSC offers online courses including "The Science of Happiness", webinars/podcasts (which I love), and comprehensive toolkits!

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Workshop for Educational Support Professionals

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Workshop for Educational Support Professionals

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Sarah Perez #3

This workshop (webinar) has several ways to help Educational Support Professional workers reduce stress and practice self-care.

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This training will offer simple healing skills for self-care and for promoting health and wellbeing for Educational Support Professionals (ESPs). The program was developed by Capacitar International for work with schools and educators in the U.S. and in other countries around the world. Based on popular education and energy-based methods, the Capacitar practices empower people to deal with traumatic stress, to stabilize and balance strong emotions and to awaken their own healing process. This workshop will include opportunities to practice and apply various healing methods. These methods can be used by all educators, families, and others in the community.

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ESP Webinar: Wellness Skills for Self-care and Health for Educational Support Professionals | NEA

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This training will offer simple healing skills for self-care and for promoting health and wellbeing for Educational Support Professionals (ESPs).

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Sarah Perez #2

Several self-paced online courses on how to deal with Trauma and other Mental Health related situations.

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The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

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NCTSN e-learning courses typically include multimedia resources, such as self-paced training modules, instructional videos, and supplemental resources. Courses are available for different professional audiences and include both introductory and more advanced learning.

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Sarah Perez #1

The California Teachers Association website has so many resources. I was particularly interested in their Students Support Services page, which included a Trauma Toolkit as well as several SEL articles.

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Student Support Services Professionals work with classroom teachers, parents, administrators and ESPs to provide multi-tiered domain interventions that aid in the development of learning for all students.

Supporting the Whole Student

Comprehensive and engaging student support services are vitally important for the academic, college, career and social emotional development and growth of students.

Student Support Services Professionals work with classroom teachers, parents, administrators and ESPs to provide multi-tiered domain interventions such as classroom lessons, small group counseling, individual counseling and crisis counseling. They also provide consultation, collaboration and resources that aid in the development of learning for all students, which includes school climates that are conducive to student safety, social, emotional well-being and intellectual support of academic and career goals.

Student Support Services Professionals can include instructional facilitators, library media specialists, school counselors, licensed professional clinical counselors, nurses, school psychologists, social workers and speech pathologists.

What is the Role of Student Support Service Professionals?

Quality student support services foster positive relationships among educators and students, and help increase a students' attachment to school. They also serve as additional positive adult role models, which is an important link between students, their families, school resources and community-based health and social services.

CTA believes that students' social-emotional needs must be addressed before effective teaching and learning can take place. When implementing site-level approaches to student discipline or the development of social competencies, CTA believes that it is crucial to involve teachers and credentialed support staff such as counselors, psychologists, nurses and social workers in the development and implementation of such programs.

Student Support Services Committee

The Student Support Services Committee studies and recommends policies and procedures for consideration by CTA governance bodies in the following areas: school counseling and guidance, nursing/health services, speech pathology, psychology, social work, library services, and welfare and attendance services.

Pupil Support Services Team

CTA believes all school districts should have at least one Pupil Support Service Team. This team should be composed of a school nurse, a psychologist, a credentialed counselor, a social worker, a speech therapist, a welfare attendance worker and an audiologist. The team would ensure equal access to academic and support services for all students in order to provide a comprehensive delivery of services and develop programs and strategies that address school climate issues.

School Nurses

School nurses are registered nurses with a health services credential, a baccalaureate and post-graduate education related to school health issues. School nurses provide a link between health and education.

School nurse responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Health Appraisals, Medical Referrals, Health Education, Screenings: Vision, Hearing, Scoliosis, Dental, Student Health Counseling, Referral Follow-up, Crisis Intervention, Sports Physicals, Communicable Disease Control, Health Record Maintenance, Specialized Physical Health Care, Emergency Care, Medication Administration, Staff In-service, Staff Health Counseling, First Aid, Staff CPR Certification, Staff First Aid Certification, Social Welfare Referral, Child Abuse Reporting, Special Education

School Psychologists

School psychologists are credentialed personnel who have training in both psychology and education. Their training and skills are used to team with educators, parents and other mental health professionals to guarantee that every child learns in a healthy, safe and supportive environment.

School psychologist responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Provide easily accessible, cost effective mental health services, Provide intellectual, academic, social and emotional assessments, Use intervention and prevention techniques to work with children and families, Provide assistance to teachers in classroom management, learning theory and individual student needs, Provide in-service trainings in learning and behavior management, Foster tolerance, understanding, and appreciation of diversity in the school community.

School Librarians

School librarians are credentialed teachers with an additional Library Media Teacher credential. A direct correlation can be made between improved student achievement and school library programs. School libraries and librarians support reading and literacy initiatives.

School librarians support learning to read and reading to learn. School librarian responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Collaborate with classroom teachers in designing lessons in finding and using information, Teach students to use technology and to evaluate electronic information, Instruct students in the effective location, evaluation and communication of information in all formats, Help students select books for class assignments and free reading, Develop school library collections of print and non-print materials to meet state and local curriculum standards, Provide access to library materials and technology for students, parents and teachers throughout the day.
School Counselors

School counselors are credentialed in pupil personnel services. School counselors work collaboratively; benefiting students, parents, teachers, administrators and the overall community.

School counselor responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Develop, plan, implement and evaluate school counseling, guidance and attendance programs, Advocate for high academic, career, personal and social development of all students, Provide school wide (student, family and staff) prevention, intervention and crises strategies and counseling, Provide consultation, training and staff development to teachers and parents regarding student needs and child welfare and attendance laws, Act as a liaison between teachers, parents and other school staff and community resources (including law enforcement and social services) to facilitate successful student development, including referrals for special education services, Interpret student records and tests, Address school policies and procedures that inhibit academic success, Disseminate financial aid and scholarship information.
*Child Welfare and Attendance counselor must have a Masters Degree in counseling, school social work or school psychology.

School Social Workers

School social workers are credentialed personnel with a Masters Degree in social work. School social workers identify and provide interventions for students and families that assist in creating positive learning environments for students.

School social worker responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Assess factors interfering with the student's ability to achieve and implement strategies for improvement, Identify and provide intervention strategies for children and their families; including counseling, case management, attendance and crisis intervention, Participate in Student Success Team (SST) process, Participate in the development of individualized education plans (IEP), Consult with teachers, administrators and other school staff regarding social and emotional needs of students, Coordinate family, school and community resources on behalf of students.

Understanding the Impact of Trauma on Our Students

As the number of students with trauma increases, educators are turning to approaches that focus on relationships and empathy.

More and more of our students are coping with the impact of traumatic events in their lives - including chronic homelessness and ongoing abuse, the detention or incarceration of a family member, destructive natural disasters, and shootings and other violent acts in communities. Trauma severely affects their ability to learn and grow, and often results in disruptive behaviors. Many educators are turning to trauma-informed practices and establishing trauma-sensitive schools to reach these students and help them succeed.

"Behavior is a symptom of a larger problem. Creating a strong relationship with the student is essential to helping them be successful."

- Christa Maldonado

Defining Child/Youth Trauma
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network says trauma results when a child/youth feels intensely threatened by an event they are involved in or witness. Events include:

Bullying

Community violence (shootings, bombings, or other types of attacks)

Complex and early childhood trauma (repeated and prolonged exposure to trauma-inducing situations such as abuse, neglect, poverty, etc.)

Domestic violence

Disasters

Refugee trauma

Traumatic grief

Symptoms of Trauma
Educators might observe various behaviors - or changes in behavior - by students who are traumatized, depending on age and type of trauma. These include:

Anxiety, fear and worry about safety of self and others

Worry about recurrence or consequences of violence

Increased distress, irritability

Decreased attention and/or concentration

Changes in behavior, such as:

Withdrawal from others or activities

Angry outbursts and/or aggression

Change in academic performance

Absenteeism

Decreased attention and/or concentration

Increase in impulsivity, risk-taking behavior

Difficulty with authority, redirection, or criticism

Re-experiencing the trauma (e.g., nightmares or disturbing memories during the day)

Emotional numbing (e.g., seeming to have no feeling about the event)

For the full list, sorted by elementary, middle and high school, go to nctsn.org . Note that teachers are mandated reporters and must report all known or suspected cases of child abuse or neglect.

We'd love to hear your insights or relevant experience. Email editor@cta.org with "trauma" in the subject line.

Important Reads and Resources

Educator Self-Care Tip Sheet

→ Suggestions and resources on dealing with stress, burnout and compassion fatigue - both at work and in your life.

Resources for Student Support Services Professionals

CTA's Policy Brief on Student Support Services

CTA is vitally concerned with protecting students' physical, emotional, and mental health by supporting and assisting certificated educators help students acquire the skills they need to become academically and socially successful in school and beyond.

Specialized Health Care Procedures

To protect students' health and welfare, only personnel defined by the Education Code as trained and qualified - including credentialed school nurses - should perform specialized healthcare procedures on students. No certificated or credentialed personnel shall be required to perform catheterization, gavage feeding, and other specialized medical procedures, including giving insulin shots.

Pupil Support Services Team

All districts must have at least one Pupil Support Service Team, consisting of a school nurse, a psychologist, a counselor, a social worker, a speech therapist, a welfare attendance worker and an audiologist, who together ensure students equal access to needed educational and support services.

Student Nutrition

Good nutrition has a direct effect on a student's ability to learn. School lunches and "snack" foods and beverages should be of high quality, balanced, and free from harmful chemicals. School service food products should be nutritionally sound, appealing, and affordable.

Learning Support Personnel Student Ratios

CTA believes Learning Support Personnel are essential partners in education and must have manageable caseloads to ensure student success. Students must also have daily access to these vital personnel. To provide this access, CTA believes that schools must have one nurse for every 750 pre-Kindergarten-Grade 6 students and one nurse for each 1000 students in Grades 7-12. Schools must have one nurse for every 100 special education students with medical technology needs.

In addition, schools must have a Credentialed Library Media Teacher and a clerk for every 600 pre-Kindergarten- Grade12 students.

Schools must also have a counselor for every 250 pre-Kindergarten-Grade 12 students, a social worker for every 800 pre-Kindergarten-Grade 12 students, and a psychologist for every 1500 pre-Kindergarten-Grade 12 general education students for assessment purposes; and one (1) psychologist for every 900 pre-Kindergarten-Grade 12 students for assessment and counseling purposes.

When educators and allies raise our voices together, anything is possible. This is how we win the public education every student deserves.

Stay up-to-date with all the latest California teachers news, events, and member benefits.

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Student Support Services Professionals can include school nurses, psychologists, librarians, school counselors, social workers and speech pathologists.

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This is a really cool website for students and families. It has many other reources link, and even has a calming room!

Iliana Murillo #2

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Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.

SEL advances educational equity and excellence through authentic school-family-community partnerships to establish learning environments and experiences that feature trusting and collaborative relationships, rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction, and ongoing evaluation. SEL can help address various forms of inequity and empower young people and adults to co-create thriving schools and contribute to safe, healthy, and just communities.

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Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.

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In this course, you "build your own SEL skills, see examples of how others are teaching these skills, learn strategies to apply to your classroom, and share ideas with your colleagues in your school, your community, and around the globe." *It's free and you earn a certificate.

-Iliana Murillo #1

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If you're involved in education, it's likely that you've been hearing a lot about social and emotional learning (SEL) lately. It's seemingly everywhere these days. And while the goal of educating the "whole child" is not new, we know more about the impact of social and emotional skills on learning than ever before. We now know, for example, that social and emotional skills develop in direct connection to student academic learning 1. In practice, this means that you are not forced to "choose" between SEL and academic instruction. Research has shown that students with SEL training "scored 13 points higher academically than their peers 3.5 years later, had 6 percent better high school graduation rates, and could even reap lifelong monetary benefits for their healthy adult lifestyle." 2 The big takeaway? We now know that the time that a teacher spends working on SEL skill development is not time taken away from academic instruction; it is time that is spent laying the foundation for academic achievement and lifelong health.

Our team at the Friday Institute, along with a group of experts, researchers, and practitioners, developed this course with the goal of helping you build your own foundational understanding of how social and emotional learning (SEL) skills are essential to, and inseparable from, student learning. In doing so, you will build your own SEL skills, see examples of how others are teaching these skills, learn strategies to apply to your classroom, and share ideas with your colleagues in your school, your community, and around the globe. The course is designed to work in multiple ways: it complements existing district- and school-wide programs but can also be used in the absence of these programs to support educators in weaving SEL both explicitly and implicitly throughout academic instruction and the school day. The course is free for everyone and is intended to support self-directed adult learning. We want you to get out of it what you need.

The course is organized in alignment with the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework for social emotional learning (see image). CASEL is a widely-recognized leader in the field of social and emotional learning, and we have been grateful for their involvement and support in the development of this course.

Feel free to review the course objectives and other information about the course, and we hope that you will enroll. We're thrilled to have the opportunity to learn alongside you.

1 http://nationathope.org/report-from-the-nation/
2 https://www.the74million.org/article/social-emotional-learning-boosts-students-scores-graduation-rates-even-earnings-new-study-finds/

Course Objectives

To provide educators with a foundational knowledge of SEL through the lens of the CASEL framework.

To build an understanding that SEL competencies are skills to be taught, not traits to be inherited.

To guide educators in building a repository of resources, activities, and skills to bring back to their classroom, school, and learning community.

To foster an understanding of the importance of educators' own SEL skills to developing the capacity to support students' SEL skills.

To provide educators with strategies to model and cultivate SEL competencies in interactions with peers, students, and families to help build SEL culture in their school.

To leave participating educators with an understanding of the importance of SEL competencies to the growth and development of justice-oriented, global citizens.

Learn More

Unit 1: Introduction to SEL
Participants will begin to develop an understanding of CASEL's five core SEL competencies. They will begin to recognize that these competencies are skills that are learned rather than traits that are inherited, and they will learn and apply key instructional practices that support their students' SEL development. The essential questions for this unit are:

Unit 7: Putting It All Together
In prior units, participants built a body of knowledge of and strategies for addressing each of the five core SEL competencies. In this unit, we bring these competencies together to help participants think holistically about these skills and consider additional ways to apply them into the classroom and share more broadly. The essential questions for this unit are:

Participants will have the opportunity to earn a certificate of completion for 25 hours of professional development during the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) for Educators course. In order to earn a certificate, participants must:

As part of the registration process, complete an initial survey about your background, organization, and goals for taking the SEL course.

Complete self-assessments for each SEL competency in Units 2-6.

Identify and engage with resources that best support self-assessment results and learning needs.

Contribute to the SEL course by asking questions, responding to others' questions, and sharing ideas in the discussion forums; agreeing with or identifying comments as insightful; suggesting resources that will be useful to others; and sharing your expertise in other ways. A certificate of completion requires participation in at least one discussion per unit.

Develop and submit an SEL Action Plan.

Provide meaningful feedback to one or more of your colleagues' SEL Action Plan reflections.

Complete a final survey at the end of the course and provide suggestions for improving it in the future.

You can submit the certificate to your local agency with a request for CEUs. Granting of CEUs will be subject to the policies and procedures of your state and local agency.

Friday Institute Online Professional Learning Courses provide a scalable, accessible, and flexible approach that is aligned with the principles of effective professional learning. Our approach is grounded in authentic, active, and collaborative professional learning activities. The approach builds upon the following key design principles:

Self-directed learning, through personalizing your experience by identifying your own goals, selecting among a rich array of resources, and deciding whether, when, and how to engage in discussions and activities to further your own learning and meet your goals.

Peer-supported learning, through engaging in online discussions, reviewing your colleagues' projects, rating posted ideas, recommending resources, crowdsourcing lessons learned, and participating in twitter chats and other exchanges appropriate to the individual course.

Job-embedded learning, through the use of case studies, classroom and school related projects; developing action plans; and other activities that center your work on critical problems of practice and data-informed decision-making in your own classrooms, schools or districts.

Multiple voices, through learning about the perspectives of other teachers and administrators along with those of students, researchers and experts in the field. Our courses are purposefully not designed around one or two experts who present online lectures. They provide exposure to a rich set of perspectives presented within the context of course elements that reflect these core principles.

You will see these design principles implemented in our courses through the following instructional elements:

Conceptual Frameworks

Resource Collections

Asynchronous Discussions and Twitter Chats

Student Scenarios

Expert Panels

Participant Projects and Peer Feedback

Crowd-sourcing

Professional Learning Community (PLC) Guides

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social and emotional learning (sel) for educators

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Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) for Educators

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If you're involved in education, it's likely that you've been hearing a lot about social and emotional learning (SEL) lately. It's seemingly everywhere these days. And while the goal of educating the "whole child" is not new, we know more about the impact of social and emotional skills on learning than ever before.

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Resource: Strategies to Build Family and Youth Engagement to Keep Kids in School

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Resource: Strategies to Build Family and Youth Engagement to Keep Kids in School

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Lorena Pedroza #2

This podcast series was produced by the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice with OJJDP’s School-Justice Partnership Program. It explores the challenges that parents and other caregivers of youth with behavioral health needs face regarding school, and how effective family and youth engagement can help overcome these challenges.

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The National Center for Youth Opportunity and Justice (NCYOJ) aims to improve life opportunities for youth through systems and practice improvement initiatives. Since 2001, we have translated research into policy and practice effectuating change that produces more efficient and effective systems, generates better outcomes for vulnerable young people, and maintains safety for youth and their families, youth-serving professionals, and communities as a whole.

The National Center for Youth Opportunity and Justice (NCYOJ) aims to improve life opportunities for youth through systems and practice improvement initiatives. Since 2001, we have translated research into policy and practice effectuating change that produces more efficient and effective systems, generates better outcomes for vulnerable young people, and maintains safety for youth and their families, youth-serving professionals, and communities as a whole.

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national center for youth opportunity and justice podcasts

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‎National Center for Youth Opportunity and Justice Podcasts on Apple Podcasts

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The National Center for Youth Opportunity and Justice (NCYOJ) aims to improve life opportunities for youth through systems and practice improvement initiatives. Since 2001, we have translated research into policy and practice effectuating change that produces more efficient and effective systems, ge...

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Community Guide to Improve and Protect population Health

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Community Guide to Improve and Protect population Health

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Lorena Pedroza #1

The Community Guide is a collection of evidence-based findings of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF). It is a resource to help you select interventions to improve health and prevent disease in your state, community, community organization, business, healthcare organization, or school.

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Welcome to The Community Guide! Let us know what you think of the website by completing this quick survey.

Mental health is an important part of overall health and well-being at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

Community Preventive Services Task Force Findings

Summary Table

This summary of CPSTF findings to improve mental health can be used as a reference, included in presentations, or shared with colleagues.

Presentations and Promotional Materials

Use these materials to share information about the CPSTF findings and Community Guide products with your community.

What Works Fact Sheets

Community Guide In Action: Stories from the Field

Community Guide News
Developed by The Community Guide

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Access CPSTF findings for interventions to promote mental health. Review the effectiveness and economic evidence on which they are based.

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Project Overview - SEL For Teachers - Isamar Ponce #2

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Social and Emotional Learning Practice Project Overview

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Social and Emotional Learning Practice Project Overview

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This site offers insights into effective SEL practices by featuring educators who have successfully integrated SEL into their classrooms. It includes lesson plans, videos, and additional professional learning resources​.

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A resource to all who are working to help SEL fulfill its promise for students. This site is for teachers, and for those who support them in delivering excellent instruction. It features the work of educators who are integrating social and emotional learning into their classrooms, with lessons about how to develop your own SEL…

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Los Angeles SEL4CA Region - SEL4CA - Isamar Ponce #1

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SEL4CA (Social Emotional Learning Alliance for California)

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SEL4CA (Social Emotional Learning Alliance for California)

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This page highlights implimenting SEL methods at different schools and has tools to help as well.

Isamar Ponce #1

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Olivia Liu #4

This conversation guide is designed to support families in helping their children in developing their ability to build relationships with others, self-regulate, communicate their feelings, and solve problems effectively. This conversation guide helps parents build positive relationships with their children and support their social-emotional development.

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Olivia Liu #3

CASEL has several workshops to inform staff, community, parents, and anyone interested in SEL about how social-emotional learning can be implemented. The Leading Schoolwide SEL workshop is available as an on-demand course or be customized to your district's needs. There is also an Introduction to SEL course that is free, self-paced, and designed for everyone interested in SEL practices.

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SESSION 1: Establish a shared understanding of systemic SEL

Participants will engage in an interactive exploration of CASEL's framework for SEL, the four focus areas for systemic SEL implementation, and the 10 indicators of schoolwide SEL. From this shared understanding, participants will determine where they are starting from and we'll unpack immediate priority actions.

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SESSION 1: Establish a shared understanding of systemic SEL Participants will engage in an interactive exploration of CASEL's framework for SEL, the four focus areas for systemic SEL implementation, and the 10 indicators of schoolwide SEL. From this shared understanding, participants will determine where they are starting from and we'll unpack immediate priority actions.

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Olivia Liu #2

Building a sense of community within the classroom provides a safe space for students to be academically motivated, act ethically, and develop social and emotional skills. This link offers reflective questions and strategies to build a sense of community for students.

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By making the time to build the relationships that allow learners to feel a sense of community- that they are "in this together"- teachers create a safer, more equitable environment where all students participate and achieve.

Students in schools and classrooms with a strong sense of community are more likely to:

Be academically motivated (Solomon et al., 2000).

Act ethically and altruistically (Schaps, Battistich, & Solomon, 1997).

Develop social and emotional competencies (Solomon et al., 2000).

The Developmental Studies Center's Research on the Child Development Project has identified four key components of a caring classroom community (Schaps et al, 2003):

Mutually respectful, supportive relationships between students, teachers, and parents.

Frequent opportunities for students to help and collaborate with others.

Frequent opportunities for student voice and agency, including over the classroom shared agreements, how conflicts are resolved, and what content is studied.

A sense of shared purpose and ideals among all members of the classroom.

SEL teams can foster community-building in all classrooms by supporting teachers in developing and collaborating on consistent developmentally appropriate strategies. These may include learning about their students' interests, lived experiences, and cultural backgrounds; providing opportunities for parents to engage in classrooms; developing structures for students to get to know each other; and listening to students' feedback on classroom instruction or procedures (see this tool to guide staff chats with students to strengthen relationships and seek feedback).

Classroom Shared Agreements

Creating classroom shared agreements is a powerful strategy for developing a sense of community. These agreements reflect students' shared understanding of how they wish to be treated and will treat one another, and connect to the school's vision and schoolwide norms. Prominently displayed in the classroom, they reinforce SEL and help create a shared sense of purpose and ideals.
To support classroom shared agreements:
Download Tool

Sample Lesson Plan: Generating Classroom Shared Agreements

This tool provides guidance for creating classroom shared agreements, which reflect students' shared understanding of how they wish to be treated and will treat one another.

Additional Resource: Teaching Tolerance Professional Development: A New Set of Rules

Community Building Circles

Regular class meetings, often conducted while seated in a circle, can be used to build a sense of belonging and trusting relationships as well as a way to introduce academic content. In elementary classrooms this may be a daily or weekly practice. In middle and high school classrooms, consider facilitating circles at the beginning of a semester, after a break from school, to begin and end a unit, during advisory periods or extracurricular club meetings, or to process current events. Building circles into your schedule on a consistent basis will increase the effectiveness, by building on the relationships and skills that are developed each time students participate.

Download Tool

Community Building Circles

This tool includes planning considerations, a set up checklist, a recommended circle process and planning template, and four sample circle scripts for middle and high school classrooms.

Setting Up Physical Space for Community

The space teachers create for their students matters, and can encourage students to think of themselves as an interdependent community of learners.
Consider the following strategies to set up your physical space for a sense of community:

Designate whole-group meeting spots (e.g., carpet area), preferably away from students' tables.

Create displays for student work and interactive bulletin boards, and invite students to contribute.

Build students' sense of ownership and self-management skills by setting up a class library and storage area that students are responsible for maintaining.

Establish a space where students can voluntarily go to cool down or talk through challenges or conflicts (for example, a Peace Area).

Ensure that images around your classroom space reflect a diversity in culture, race, experience, gender, age, etc.

Note: A school's efforts at SEL are more likely to succeed if you consistently make space to discuss SEL implementation. Grade-level team meetings are an excellent time to support reflection, inquiry, and collaboration among teachers.

Download Tool

Using Grade-Level Team Meetings to support a Positive Classroom Culture

This tool provides guidance for using grade-level team meetings to collaborate and reflect on strategies for building positive classroom cultures
Here are a few additional tools to support classroom community building:

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By making the time to build the relationships that allow learners to feel a sense of community- that they are "in this together"- teachers create a safer, more equitable environment where all students participate and achieve. Students in schools and classrooms with a strong sense of community are more likely to: Be academically motivated (Solomon et al., 2000).

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Olivia Liu #1

Hello Everyone,

In this link, you will find information on building a classroom environment that supports social and emotional learning and establishes authentic relationships. Using community-building strategies in the classroom helps students and families feel comfortable in the classroom.

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A supportive and equitable environment in all classrooms serves as a platform for all academic, social and emotional learning. At the core of a supportive classroom is a caring, engaging teacher who establishes authentic trusting relationships with each student.

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Upcoming trainings and events for Families in L.A. County

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Upcoming trainings and events for Families in L.A. County

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This trainings are compiled by LA Best Babies Network and they maintain the list of upcoming events and trainings current for parents and early childhood professionals.

Maricela Santamaria #2

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Here's a roundup of events on perinatal health and family strengthening compiled by LA Best Babies Network. Share with the families you serve!

We also maintain this list of trainings and upcoming events for home visitors and other early childhood professionals.

Subscribe here to get a weekly email with the latest updates.

Do you have something for us to include here? Email snish@labestbabies.org.

Looking for a partner to coordinate a training in L.A. County? Submit your collaboration request here. Looking for a trainer? Check out HomeVisitingLA.org and its directory of trainings.

Other resources: Upcoming Events for Early Childhood Professionals | Recorded Webinars, On-Demand Training | Ongoing Support Groups, Meetings, Classes | Other Organizations' Events Calendars

Ongoing Opportunities

Dive Into Summer With L.A. County Parks & Recreation
LA County Parks & Rec is hosting pool parties to kick-off summer at public pools. Families can enjoy free recreational swim, exciting games, fun giveaways, music, delicious food, and much more.

Pregnancy Research ProjectThe PRO-Health research team at California State University, Long Beach, is studying the experiences of parents and their babies during pregnancy and after birth. They are recruiting participants who are pregnant and at least 18 years old. Gift cards provided. See their flyer (English/Spanish) here. To sign up or learn more contact 562-285-7074 or prohealth@csulb.edu or visit bit.ly/Interest-RFBH.

SUN Bucks: A New Summer Food Program
Children who qualify for free or reduced school meals through a school meal application or an Alternative Income Form, or get CalFresh, CalWORKs, or Medi-Cal, are automatically enrolled. You don't need to do anything to sign up. SUN Bucks provides $40 per month for food for June, July and August 2024 ($120 total)

Freedom Schools
June 24 - August 2
Community Coalition is hosting this Children's Defense Fund program, which provides free summer school and snacks for students in grades 3-12. For more information, contact Jathan Melendez at Jathan@cocosouthla.org. Complete the interest form here.

Free Citizenship & Immigration Resources at L.A. County Libraries
LA County Library offers Citizenship in a Bag, a toolkit with resources for customers seeking to obtain US Citizenship. This toolkit in a bag contains a variety of educational materials for the naturalization exam, including flashcards, multimedia tools, and a FREE citizenship folder with valuable resources that customers can keep. Borrow or place a hold on a Citizenship in a Bag toolkit here.

The L.A. County Arts Internship Program Is Back!
Over 200 paid internships for college students available at more than 160 arts organizations across L.A. County. Both full-time and part-time opportunities. Learn more and apply at www.LACountyArts.org/internships.

Recruiting Participants to Be Interviewed for a Dissertation Study
A UCLA doctoral student is looking to interview Black parents/guardians of children 0-5 with a developmental delay, to participate in a dissertation study. The purpose is to learn about the decision-making process of seeking formal developmental screenings and early intervention services for their child. Participants will receive $100 in compensation.

Tiny Nests; Research Participant Opportunity for Expecting Parents
A USC grad student is seeking participants to engage in a study and share their voice. Her study is looking at how expecting parents engage in nesting and place-making behaviors during pregnancy. Participants can receive up to $125 in compensation.

Housing and Utility Assistance for Ukrainians
Open Until September 30, 2024
Are you a newcomer in Los Angeles County from Ukraine under the Uniting for Ukraine Program, a Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolee, or Non-Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolee? Housing and Utility Assistance may be available for you. Ukrainian refugees may apply for the Refugee Employment Program (REP) by phone at (818) 956-0500 ext. 100 or (213) 318-5716.

Virtual Focus Group Opportunities (Spanish)
EurekaFacts is seeking Spanish-speaking Hispanic/Latina women, preferably of Mexican or Central American heritage, who are 18 or older to join a voluntary 90-minute focus group. The groups will be discussing women's health experiences related to health and culture. A $75 incentive will be offered to each participant in exchange for their time and work.

Parent Ambassador Leaders (PALS) Department of Public Health - School COVID-19 Prevention Program(Spanish)
Parents and Guardians of students at TK - 12 Los Angeles County Schools can apply to join the Parent Ambassador Leaders Program to learn about student health and school success.
Presented by Department of Public Health

Free Vaccine Clinics at Your Local Library
Stay healthy - get a flu vaccination and the updated 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine. Health insurance is not required but will be requested from those who are insured. See when this is offered at your local library branch.
Presented by LA County Department of Public Health and LA County Library

Help Me Grow LA Call Center Is Open: 833-903-3972
Family Partners are taking calls to assist families in L.A. County who have children with special needs or developmental concerns. Learn more about Help Me Grow LA at HelpMeGrowLA.org.

Emergency Rent Assistance Available for CalWORKs Families
CalWORKs customers, who are behind on rent, may visit their local DPSS office to request Emergency Assistance to Prevent Eviction (EAPE). Download the EAPE fact sheet to learn more. Submit an application to your CalWORKs Eligibility Worker.

Inglewood Oil Field Communities Health Impact Survey
If you live 1.5 miles of the Inglewood Oil Field, participate in a survey to understand the health impacts on residents that live near it. The survey is confidential and voluntary. For more information contact Ms. Ha Luong at (310) 957-9209 or email haluong97@g.ucla.edu
Presented by LA Public Health and UCLA
LAUSD is Offering Devices for Virtual Tutoring Services
LAUSD students receiving tutoring services through LAUSD may access learning devices, like laptops, to virtually connect with their tutor and/or complete assignments online. Request a device at LAUSD Device and Connectivity.
Presented by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)

L.A. County Mortgage Relief Program for Landlords in High Need Areas
Qualified applicants can receive up to $30,000 to eliminate outstanding mortgage or utility debt that was caused from the pandemic.

Let the City of L.A. Know About Your Child Care Needs
Take this quick survey to help the City of L.A. learn about your family's needs and how they can better support you.
Presented by Child Care Policy Unit - Los Angeles Community Investment for Families Department

Parents and Families of Children Ages 0-8 living in LA County, Make Your Voice Count!(Spanish)
Register to join Families Together for Kids in LA County to share your experiences and opinions through online surveys that can improve the future for all children in LA County. Each survey will give you the opportunity to receive a $5 gift card for your participation.
Presented by First 5 LA

Apply to Be a Bus Driver With LA Unified School District (LAUSD)
Applicants must have a HS diploma/GED, 6+ months of paid experience driving a bus/truck, or completed an LAUSD bus driver course, a valid CA Driver's license Class A or B with passenger and air brake endorsement. Visit LAUSDJobs.org for additional information.
CalFresh Benefits Market Match
Use the CalFresh Market Match program at your neighborhood farmers' market to maximize your CalFresh rewards. When you use your EBT card at a farmers' market to receive CalFresh benefits worth $15, you will also receive $15.

Get Help with Southern California Edison - Energy Saving Assistance Program
Southern California Edison's Energy Savings Assistance program helps cover the cost of new energy-efficient appliances. The program is available to homeowners and renters if income qualifications are met.
Presented by Southern California Edison

Get Child Care Financial Assistance
The Child Care Resource Center helps families find and apply for child care assistance. Apply here (or here in Spanish). Learn more at CCRCCA.org or call 1-866-67-4KIDS. See CCRC's flyer for parents in English and Spanish.

Consumer Relief for Natural Gas Bills
Various resources are available to assist income-qualified customers with high gas bills. Learn more here.
Presented by SoCalGas

CSU Dominguez Hills Study: Seeking Participants Who are Expecting Their First Child
Are you currently pregnant for the first time? You are invited to participate in a new research study at CSU Dominguez Hills focused on daily emotions and experience during pregnancy. You can earn up to $150 for participation in this study. For more information, contact perch@csudh.edu or call (323) 379-9118.
Study conducted by the CSU Dominguez Hills Department of Psychology

UCLA Breastfeeding Study: Seeking Interview Participants
Get a $75 gift card for doing a 45- to 60-minute phone/zoom interview about breastfeeding. Must be pregnant or have recently given birth and identify as Asian American, Black or African American, or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. Select a time to do the interview here. Contact ajscheitler@ucla.edu if you have questions.
Study conducted by UCLA Center for Health Policy Research

MotherToBaby Study: Seeking Participants
MotherToBaby is currently enrolling pregnant women in an observational study to explore how asthma and its treatment affect pregnancy. All studies are conducted through phone interviews - no changes to your normal routine or travel required.
Study conducted by MotherToBaby

CalKIDS Program Gives Money to Families to Save for College
Low-income families with public school students in grades 1-12 can now open college savings accounts, and California will contribute seed investments of up to $1,500 for each child. All California families with newborns (born on or after July 1, 2022) can also open these accounts and receive up to $100 from the state. Read more about eligibility, and see this FAQ page. To see these pages in another language click "Language" on the right side.

Golden Bear Pass
CalWORKs families can receive a complimentary Golden Bear Pass, which grants free entry at 200+ state parks and beaches. Learn more and apply here (or in Spanish here). Questions? Contact the California Dept. of Social Services at (916) 651-0515 or calworksoutreach@dss.ca.gov.

Opportunity LA Offers Free Savings Accounts for Children
The City and County of Los Angeles, along with LAUSD, are working together to provide all LAUSD first-graders with a FREE Child Saving Account (CSA) to help save for college - regardless of the student or parent's income, background or immigration status. All eligible students will receive an initial $50 deposit. Additional deposits can be made by students and families. To learn more about the program, visit OpportunityLA.com or watch videos in English and Spanish here.
Presented by the City and County of L.A., in partnership with LAUSD and Citibank

WIC Fruits and Vegetables Benefit Increase
Through September 30, 2024
WIC families can get extra money to buy fruits and vegetables at WIC-approved stores and farmers' markets. Use this tool to find your nearest farmers' market that accepts WIC, and learn more about the benefit here.

Teen Parent Prosper Program
Pregnant or parenting teens living in the City of Los Angeles are eligible for this 800-hour paid internship program. The opportunity is limited to the first 40 eligible applicants. Apply here or contact Claudia Castillo at (213) 808-8652 or Claudia.Castillo@lacity.org for more information.
Presented by the City of Los Angeles' Community Investment for Families Department and others

Registration Open for Summer Classes and Activities at LA County Parks Whether you're taking up a new hobby, learning a new skill or being more active, LA County Parks invites you to join a class! They are offering a variety of in-person and virtual classes to help you get active, stay healthy, and enjoy a new hobby. From yoga and sports to music and arts, there is a class for everyone! Check out their fall classes and register for an activity at reservations.lacounty.gov.
Presented by the L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation

Youth at Work
Are you age 14-24 and looking for a job? You can earn money while learning valuable life and work skills. This program provides access to paid work-based learning, work readiness, personal enrichment training, academic and career development, and advanced career services. Apply here.
Presented by Youth@Work

UCLA Study Focus Groups
Participate in focus groups and receive incentives by giving your feedback on the new UCLA wellness app. They are recruiting high school students and parents of high school students. To learn more about the study, contact Christine Lee at 714-822-0649 or at kungeunlee@mednet.ucla.edu.

Decolonized Nonviolent Parenting: A Practice for Raising Empathetic, Grounded, & Socially Conscious Kids (6-Week Course)
Receive support in developing a parenting style that acknowledges your children's journey and develops them to be empathic, grounded, and socially conscious via the lenses of familial decolonization, nonviolence, reparenting, and conscious child development.
Presented by Latinx Parenting

Participate in Research Study on Breast Milk
The Lundquist Institute is conducting a breast milk research study. Participants (who are currently breastfeeding) will conduct a 4-hour study visit and will receive a $100 gift card. Learn more here or contact MacKenzie Cervantes at breastmilk@lundquist.org or 310-974-9538.

Direct Cash Assistance to Pregnant People
The Pregnancy Assistance Income with Dignity (P.A.I.D) program pays $1,000/month of unconditional income for 18 months. This program is designed to reduce economic burden and improve health outcomes of pregnant people in L.A. County. Learn more and apply at ncjwla.org/paid.

Upcoming Events for Families in L.A. County

CalFresh at Parks After Dark(Spanish)
Through August 1, Thursdays, 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Check out the schedule of events at your local park!
Presented by CalFresh and others

Parks After Dark - Summer Pad
Through August 3, Thursday - Saturday, 6:00pm - 10:00pm
Free activities and fun at 34 L.A. County Parks for all ages!
Presented by Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation

Free Lunch at the Library (20 Libraries)
Through August 9, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Los Angeles County Libraries will be providing free, nutritious meals to kids and teens 18 and under during the summer months.

Summer Camp (Ages 5 - 12)
Through August 9, Monday - Friday, 7:00am - 5:30pm: 3216 S Hoover St., Los Angeles CA 90007
Presented by Hover Intergenerational Care, Inc. Child Care Resource Center

Youth Sailing Camp
Through August 16, Boathouse at Burton Chace Park, 13640 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey, CA 90292
Presented by L.A. County Department of Beaches & Harbor

Moonlight Movies on the Beach
Through August 23, 8:00pm: Granada Beach, 1 Granada Beach Ave., Long Beach, CA 90803
Presented by Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine

Beach Movie Nights at Dockweiler Youth Center
Through August 30, Fridays, 8:00pm: Dockweiler Youth Center, 12505 Vista del Mar, Playa del Rey, CA 90293
Presented by L.A. County Department of Beaches & Harbor

Hundley Foundation Fatherhood Program (Spanish)
Through November 20, Wednesdays, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Presented by Eisner Health

Hundley Foundation Fatherhood Program
Through November 21, Thursdays, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Presented by Eisner Health

NAMI Family to Family Class
July 7 - August 25, weekly, 2:30pm - 5:00pm: Rosemead, CA
Now accepting applications
Presented by NAMI San Gabriel Valley

Back to School Resource Fair
July 13, 10:00am - 2:00pm: 696 W. Holt Ave., Pomona, CA 91768
Presented by Community Resource Center in Pomona

Career & Resource Fair, 11:00am - 2:00pm: 200 S. Harbor Blvd., San Pedro, CA 90731
Presented by Harbor Blvd. Promenade Park

Summer Stars: Free Summer Tutoring for Grades 1 - 6 Tutoring Program (Math)
July 16 - August 8, Appointments are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and space is limited. For more information and to complete an interest form, visit LACountyLibrary.org/summer-stars.
Presented by the L.A. County Library

Work Ready: Successful Re-Entry for LA County Residents
July 16, Tuesday, 11:00am - 12:15pm
Presented by L.A. County Library

Virtual Parenting Group: Connecting Communities (conectando comunidades), 3:30pmJoin for helpful discussions about parenting while building a network of support.
Presented by WIN Los Angeles

Gardening Workshop, 10:00am - 11:30am: Curtis R. Tucker Health Center, 123 Manchester Blvd., Inglewood, CA 90301
Presented CalFresh and Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc

Virtual Activity Session: Making Memories (creando memorias), 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Enjoy quality family time through story time, arts & crafts, music, movement, and more.
Presented by WIN Los Angeles

Youth Health & Wellness Expo/Expo de Salud y Bienestar Juvenil, 6:00pm - 8:30pm: Salesian Family Youth Center, 2228 East 4 th St., Los Angeles, CA 90033
All activities will be presented in English and Spanish. The event is open to all youth and their families.
Presented by Visión y Compromiso and others

46th Annual Alondra Park Ho'olaule'a Hawaiian Festival
July 20 - 21, 9:00am - 5:00pm: Alondra Park, 3850 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Lawndale, CA 90260
This event will feature Polynesian entertainment, arts and crafts, games, prizes, island-style food, and more. Parking is available at El Camino College and neighborhood parking is free.
Presented by the Hawaiian Inter-Club Council of Southern California

Workshop: Los Angeles County Community Response Guide: Tool Design, 9:00am - 4:00pm: Children's Institute, 2121 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90026
Lunch will be provided for both days.
Presented by Evident Change and LA County Mandate Supporting Initiative

Pregnancy Resource Event for Expecting Moms(Spanish), 11:00am - 12:30pm: Adventist Health White Memorial Medical Center, Labor and Delivery Entrance, 1720 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90033
To register, click here. For more information, please contact Victoria at (323) 250-2694.
Presented by the Welcome Baby program at Adventist Health White Memorial Medical Center

One Book, One Country: Author Talk & Celebration, 5:00pm - 7:00pm: Gloria Molina Grand Park, 200 N Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012
Presented by L.A. County Library

Black Birthworker Career Fair
July 27, 9:00am - 12:00pm: University Christian Church, 5831 West Centinela Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90045
Presented by South LA/ South Bay African American Infant and Maternal Mortality Community Action Team

Free Baby Expo & Resource Fair, 9:30am - 12:30pm: Zev Yaroslavsky Family Support Center, 7555 Van Nuys Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91405
Presented by the LA County Department of Public Health and others

Stop the Bleed Community Training, 10:00am - 11:00am: Wellness Community, 335-B East Avenue K6, Lancaster, CA 93535
Presented by Antelope Valley Wellness Community

Webinar: Back to School Stress & Blues (Parent-Focused), 11:00am - 11:45am
Presented by BrightLife Kids

Care Harbor Women's Health Clinic
August 24 - 25: California Market Center, 155 E. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles
Free medical, dental, vision and preventive care. No income, insurance, residency, or other requirements. Register as a volunteer. To help your clients get pre-registered, contact Sasha Muraoka at s.muraoka@careharbor.org.
Presented by Care Harbor

Save the Date: Know Your Rights Advocacy Day
August 29 - 30: California Endowment, 1000 Alameda St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
Presented by BreastfeedLA

5th Annual Prostate Cancer Walk
September 14, 8:00am - 12:00pm: Cal State Dominquez Hills, 1000 E. Victoria St., Carson, CA 90747
Presented by City of Carson and others

Webinar: Raising Healthy and Emotional Intelligent Kids, 11:00am - 11:45am
Presented by BrightLife Kids

Black Men's Wellness Day, 7:00am - 12:00: Rancho Cienega Recreation Center,5001 Obama Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90016
Presented by the African American Male Wellness Agency

Webinar: A Parent's Guide to Better Communication for Family Unity
November 13, 11:00am - 11:45am
Presented by BrightLife Kids

Webinar: It's Okay to Not Be Okay
November 13, 11:00am - 11:45am
Presented by BrightLife Kids
Disclaimer: LA Best Babies Network provides this content as a service to the community. Listing an event here does not necessarily imply endorsement or approval. Please contact the host organizations directly for more information on any of these events.

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Here's a roundup of events on perinatal health and family strengthening compiled for parents/families by LA Best Babies Network. Subscribe here&nbsp

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Kelly Lutz #2

Class Dojo is a family communication app which provides SEL videos for children. This video series includes animated videos for children to understand "empathy."

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ClassDojo and Harvard University’s Making Caring Common Project collaborated to create a three-episode video series all about empathy. Find these empathy episodes along with some amazing activities to help strengthen your students’ empathy skills.

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FAMILY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS / CHILD PEI

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FAMILY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS / CHILD PEI

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This source provides plenty of resources for parents and children to help them have access to mental health by directing them to the program that best fits their needs. Maricela Santamaria #1

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Family and Community Partnerships / Child PEI

The Family and Community Partnerships (FCP) administrative unit strengthens system and community capacity to address the mental health needs of children and their families, contributes to related workforce, program and policy development, and promotes strategic investments in prenatal, infant, early childhood, and school-based mental health. This unit does not provide direct mental health services but supports the following programs and partnerships:

For assistance or any information regarding FCP's programs, Please call 213-739-5428.

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Family and Community Partnerships - Department of Mental Health

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The Family and Community Partnerships (FCP) unit strengthens capacity to address the mental health needs of children and their families, contributes to related workforce, program and policy development, and promotes strategic investments in prenatal, infant, early childhood, and school-based mental health.

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Kelly Lutz #1

"Super Nanny" shares her technique on helping families connect emotionally and build understanding through her "thought box" technique. Navigate through the site for more techniques.

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This can also be said for us when raising teenagers, getting on busy with our lives, and not creating opportunities for our children to be able to reach out to us and sometimes they are worried about how we may react. So, those thoughts and feelings are kept in a box inside ourselves.

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Hello, everyone. Here is a link that shows multiple resources for families.

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Support your child's development.

Social-emotional skills play an important role in the lives of parents, caregivers, and children. If you are interested in learning about social-emotional development, activities, tools, and more, check out our list of resources below.

Social-Emotional Development

Self-Esteem and Confidence

Challenging Emotions and Behaviors

Family Guides and Tip Sheets

Activities for Children

Self Care

Support Services

Developmental Concerns

Early Intervention

COVID-19

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Social-emotional skills play an important role in the lives of parents, caregivers, and children. Access resources for support.

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Norman Zelada #2 Coping Skills For Kids - Managing Feelings & Emotions For Elementary-Middle School | Self-Regulation

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This is a quick 5 minute video on helping kids regulate their feelings and emotions

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Coping Skills For Kids - Managing Feelings & Emotions For Elementary-Middle School | Self-Regulation

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Upcoming/Past CalHOPE SEL & Wellness Summit

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Upcoming/Past CalHOPE SEL & Wellness Summit

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Hello everyone, Here is a link that shows the CalHOPE 2024 Summit on SEL. There are videos attached, as well as the upcoming 2025 CalHOPE Summit on SEL.

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As educators, we know that a sense of belonging is crucial to the social and emotional well-being of our students, and this is no less true for ourselves.

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This source can help us as educators develop SEL skills that can be used to grow in and out of the classroom.

Millie #2

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When Educators Thrive, Students Thrive

Strengthen Your School Community with Second Step® SEL for Adults

Build trust, manage stress, explore equity and belonging, and cultivate resilience and efficacy. Created for educators by educators, Second Step SEL for Adults is a professional learning program that strengthens the social-emotional skills and well-being of K-12 teachers, leaders, and staff.

Prioritize Educator Well-Being

Research shows that educators play a meaningful role in children's social-emotional development and teacher well-being is a powerful predictor of classroom quality. That's why we've partnered with leaders in adult education to equip every adult in a school with the skills to create a positive learning environment.

Built for Every Educator

Offering whole-staff access and both individual- and group-learning experiences, Second Step SEL for Adults is an ongoing program that encourages incremental learning over time. Highly focused, mobile- and desktop-friendly modules fit into educators' busy schedules, and school leaders are engaged along with staff with a robust Leader Track.

What's Included in the Program?

Staff Track

Second Step SEL for Adults is composed of modules, each representing a social-emotional professional learning domain. Staff complete two modules per year, or schools may choose to implement the program at a pace that best suits their community. Four modules are now available. There are four units per module, each with a Kickoff Meeting for all staff (60 minutes), four to eight independent microlearnings (60-90 minutes total), and a small-group meeting (30 minutes).

Leader Track

Leaders work through the program alongside staff. In addition, the Leader Track provides a variety of supports and an additional 2-3 hours of learning, which includes forming a Leader Team and Leader Implementation Plan as well as facilitating module kickoffs. The Leader Track also includes additional content about ways to support a successful implementation.

How Does the Program Work?

From an overview of the modules' contents to more details on implementation, this six-minute video goes further to show you how Second Step® SEL for Adults looks and works.

Subscription-Based Pricing

Second Step® SEL for Adults is purchased as a schoolwide license. Each license aligns to a single school (Grades K-12) and provides access to Second Step SEL for Adults for all adults in the school. When districts purchase for multiple schools, each schoolwide license covers a single school.

If you're purchasing for a single school, pricing varies by enrollment. For multisite purchases, pricing varies by number of schools. Pricing for both is discounted to provide economies for multiyear purchases.

Are you purchasing for a single school or site?

Second Step® SEL for Adults Single-Site Pricing

Are you purchasing for multiple schools or sites?

Second Step® Programs for Grades K-8: Multisite Pricing

Visit our informational page for multisite purchasers to get a pricing estimate and learn about additional discounts and savings.

Get Pricing

Ready to Purchase?

You can buy a single-school license in our online store. Please contact us for multisite pricing and to purchase for multiple schools.

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Social-Emotional Learning for Adults | SEL for Adults | Second Step

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Build trust, manage stress, explore equity and belonging, and cultivate resilience and efficacy. Created for educators by educators, Second Step SEL for Adults is a professional learning program that strengthens the social-emotional skills and well-being of K-12 teachers, leaders, and staff.

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Carmin Bobadilla #2 SEL Discussion Series for Parents and Caregivers (Spanish)

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SEL Discussion Series for Parents and Caregivers

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SEL Discussion Series for Parents and Caregivers

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This resource is a discussion-based training in Spanish for parents to understand what SEL is and how they can work together with the school to support their child's SEL.

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Las familias son el primer maestro de un niño y un factor esencial en el cultivo de las competencias sociales y emocionales a lo largo de la vida de un niño. Cuando las escuelas y las familias trabajan juntas, pueden construir conexiones fuertes que refuercen el desarrollo de habilidades socio-emocionales.

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SEL Discussion Series for Parents and Caregivers (Spanish)

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Las familias son el primer maestro de un niño y un factor esencial en el cultivo de las competencias sociales y emocionales a lo largo de la vida de un niño. Cuando las escuelas y las familias trabajan juntas, pueden construir conexiones fuertes que refuercen el desarrollo de habilidades socio-emocionales.

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CHIRLA - Immigration support (Heidi A #2)

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CHIRLA - Immigration support (Heidi A #2)

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Heidi A (#2)

CHIRLA helps support, organize, educate, and defend immigrants and refugees within Los Angeles. They do require a $25 individual membership fee (or $60 family membership) to help keep legal and other services low cost. Membership includes "low cost services, volunteer opportunities, internships/scholarships, metro fare discount, access to bike sharing program, and skills training and leadership development workshops."

Educates the community to "help immigrants understand their rights, policies or other programs, and to empower themselves"

Provides legal services for anyone within the Los Angeles area.

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The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights

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CHIRLA - The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights

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The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) was founded in 1986. CHIRLA is a California leader with national impact made of diverse immigrant families and individuals who act as agents of social change to achieve a world with freedom of mobility, full human rights, and true participatory democracy.

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Julianna Orozco #2

Hello everyone, here is a link to a webinar provided by California Teachers Association that supported teachers with SEL methods and learning more about it for Elementary school students.

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IPD Distance Learning Support Series | Tiered Engagement and SEL (Primary)

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4 Ways to Help Your Child Create True Friendships - Jean-Luc #1

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provides articles and resources to help parents support their children's education, health, and safety. The specific article "4 Ways to Help Your Child Create True Friendships" offers practical advice on how to help children develop strong, supportive friendships through life skills development, promoting empathy, encouraging diverse friendships, and modeling positive relationships.

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Having a group of friends can be a big part of most kids' feelings of well-being, belonging and self-esteem. Being part of a peer group can affect everything from students' grades to their emotional health. But the ability to make good friends-and be a good friend to others-has to be taught and nurtured just like any other skill. It is important to understand how we help our children not only make friends, but develop strong, supportive relationships based on mutual respect, kindness and inclusion.

Here are four things you can do to help your kids make true friends:

1. Help them develop their life skills.

Being able to recognize and calmly express their emotions or respond to a friend's feelings with empathy are powerful life skills that children can start to learn at a very young age. Tools like the social-emotional-learning podcast, The Imagine Neighborhood, use silly stories to introduce children (ages 4-10) to challenging social situations in a safe and entertaining way.

Talking to your child about the questions raised by these kinds of stories is a great opportunity to build their emotional awareness and help them develop effective problem- solving skills.

2. Help them learn to be the kind of friend they'd like to have.

In a landmark study, child development researchers made the surprising discovery that many popular children did not have close, primary friendships with any of their peers. A child can be admired by his classmates, but that child may also be considered bossy, or make other children feel unsafe.

What kids look for in pursuing close relationships is a combination of how that person makes them feel about themselves, how much fun they have with the new person and whether or not they can trust them. Helping even the most popular kid learn to focus on "playing fair," making connections and treating others with kindness and respect will help them build healthy relationship skills for the future.

3. Encourage and support diverse friend circles.

It's common for young people to be hesitant about the unknown, so your child may inadvertently shy away from classmates with different backgrounds or even behave unkindly towards them. Having deep friendships with people from other cultures is associated with better social skills, more empathy and less bias, but these relationships are still uncommon, especially in white families.

Seeing the grown-ups in their lives interact with friends from other backgrounds makes a big difference, and you can also introduce children to cultures outside their own through stories, books and media. The "Imagine Neighborhood" podcast is a good option, as it offers episodes specifically addressing inclusion and making friends across a range of identities (Food Fight, Blizzards and Wizards, Anyone Can Play).

4. Be an example they can aspire to.

Although it can feel like kids don't pay attention to their grown-ups, every parent knows that, in fact, children are constantly absorbing everything that happens around them. So, although it's important to talk to young people about having kind, respectful friendships, exercising your own good relationship skills around them is just as impactful.

Every interaction you have is an opportunity to model positive relationships based on kindness and respect-from how you connect with your friends and how you manage your family's play date guests, to how you interact with everyone from a checkout clerk to a crossing guard.

Best of all, even the mistakes you might make can spark conversations with your kids about the challenges that friendships present for all of us, and let you share your own strategies for making things right.

Not all early friendships are destined to continue past our school years, but the lessons we learn from them can resonate throughout our lives. By nurturing the social-emotional skills that help kids understand both themselves and others, you can play an active role in setting up your child for better friendship outcomes this year and for all their years to come.
Jodi Kingsley is a Chicago-based freelance writer who prides herself on being the cool auntie for her many nieces and nephews.

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4 Ways to Help Your Child Create True Friendships

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Good friendships help your child's sense of belonging. These four tips will help your child develop strong, supportive relationships.

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Hi here is a link to a responsive classroom website that provides videos and articles about this classroom approach.

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During the long winter months, when children may experience less physical activity and movement, try sprinkling in some energizers-quick breaks that get children moving, breathing, and having fun together-throughout the day. These much-needed physical and mental breaks can increase children's motivation for learning, and can also make their learning more...

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Responsive Classroom is an evidence-based approach to teaching that focuses on the strong link between academic success and social-emotional learning (SEL).

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Julianna Orozco #1

Hello everyone, these have a few recommendations of different social-emotional learning activities that can be used with students & adults.

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10 Activities for Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) For Your Learners AND You

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Explore 10 strategies that all educators can use to weave in social-emotional learning that supports both their students and themselves.

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Emotion Motion Podcast #1 Jennifer Condon

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Emotion Motion Podcast #1 Jennifer Condon

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The Emotion Motion Podcast takes listeners on a journey through storytelling designed to engage children, their families and their teachers in movement and creative expression. Weekly episodes include opportunities to put your emotions in motion through play and movement while practicing skills like empathy, self-awareness, regulating emotions, mindfulness, and more! Follow The Emotion Motion Podcast on Instagram and Facebook for more fun!

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Emotion Motion Podcasts for Social Emotional Learning (SEL) | Move This World

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The Emotion Motion Podcast takes listeners on a journey through storytelling designed to engage children, their families and their teachers in movement and creative expression. Weekly episodes include opportunities to put your emotions in motion through play and movement while practicing skills like empathy, self-awareness, regulating emotions, mindfulness, and more!

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Emotional Strategy Wheel #2 Jennifer Condon

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Emotional Strategy Wheel #2 Jennifer Condon

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Manage "Big" Emotions with an Emotions Wheel

Don't let their size fool you... our little learners are capable of feeling some very BIG emotions!

Knowing how to self-regulate when in a heightened emotional state can be a challenging task for adults, let alone children! That is why it is vital to teach emotional awareness and self-regulation skills to our students as early as possible. Our students need to be able to:

Identify the heightened emotion they are experiencing.

Know what strategies they can use to help them calm down.

Apply these strategies in order to successfully self-regulate.

When teaching social-emotional learning to students, it is important to actively teach our students a variety of different strategies they can use to process their emotions. This wheel can help students identify the emotion they are feeling and the different strategies they can use to return to stable ground!

How to Use This Emotions Wheel

This resource consists of two pages. The first page contains the emotions wheel. The wheel is structured as follows:

The center ring contains emojis to show different emotions.

The words in the second ring describe the emojis.

The outer ring contains strategies that students may like to use when they are feeling these emotions.

The second page contains a wedge that can be used to help students identify the specific emotion they are feeling and the strategy they can use to manage this emotion.

To compile the wheel:

Cut out the wheel on page 1.

Cut out the wedge on page 2. Be sure to leave the center circle as a pivot point.

Place the wedge over the top of the wheel, then insert a brass fastener through the centre circle on the "X."

To choose speciﬁc strategies, turn the wheel until the emotion being experienced is sitting inside the wedge.

Download Our Version, Or Customise to Create Your Own!

This resource downloads in four separate file formats:

Color PDF

Black-and-white PDF

Color Microsoft Word (editable)

Black-and-white Microsoft Word (editable)

Use the dropdown menu next to the Download button to select your preferred file format.

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Help your students self-regulate when they experience "big" emotions with this hands-on emotions wheel with accompanying calming strategies.

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Eggleston Behavioral Health Services / Wendy G#1

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Here is a link to an agency that provides health services for those who need emotional and mental support.

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Children and young adults deserve a safe space.

If you were to stare into the eyes of a child who has seen more in her lifetime than most adults could ever imagine, let alone process, how would you begin to heal the past? It starts here and now.

Behavioral Health Treatment Options for Ages 0 to 21

Eggleston Behavioral Health Services (EBHS) is a county contracted, outpatient program providing a community-based approach to behavioral health. Too many children and young adults in our neighborhoods suffer from chronic and persistent mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, and/or co-occurring substance abuse disorders. Without the help needed, compromised mental health will continue to escalate with age and, in turn, adversely affect longevity.

Mental illness is prevalent amongst those exposed to violence, ongoing physical or emotional abuse and sexual assault. For some, mental health disorders develop as a preventative measure to what the mind cannot handle. For other children and teens, depression and anxiety are the backlash of symptoms that indicate an overabundance of emotional hardships, without reprieve. The repercussions can seem never-ending.

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Behavioral health provider striving to provide prevention and intervention services in order to give the opportunity for each service recipient to have the opportunity to heal, grow and overcome their circumstances and live a healthy lifestyle.

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All For Kids - Preventive and Supportive resources for families (Heidi A #1)

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All For Kids - Preventive and Supportive resources for families (Heidi A #1)

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Heidi Aguilar #1

Services provided in Antelope Valley, Metro Los Angeles, Orange County.

All for kids provides prevention, behavioral health, and foster care, foster-adoption and related services.

Family Enrichment program

Healthy Families America

Supportive Counseling

Library Program

Parenting Classes

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Child Abuse Prevention, Treatment & Welfare Services | Children's Bureau

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A report of child abuse is made every 10 seconds. This doesn't have to happen. Learn how you can be a part of the story to strengthen at-risk families and communities so every child can grow up safe, nurtured and full of potential.

Our Mission at Children's Bureau:

Protecting vulnerable children through prevention, treatment and advocacy

Since 1904, Children's Bureau has been a private, nonprofit leader in preventing child abuse and neglect and treating children who have suffered. Our innovative, comprehensive services help thousands of at-risk children and parents annually from 20 community sites in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Our research and evaluation efforts and advocacy inform the child welfare arena on local, state and national levels.

Our Vision at Children's Bureau:

Children thriving in strong families and communities

Most parents don't intend to harm their children. So why does it happen? Many of today's social ills play a pivotal role in child abuse. Isolation, poverty, substance abuse, loss of job or home, mental health issues are just a few of the life situations that can cause high stress and overwhelming feelings. Add to the mix the needs of a child and life becomes hard. Really hard. Read below to learn how we help support at-risk parents so they can confidently raise their children.

How We Prevent Child Abuse:

We Strengthen Families & Communities

with direct services and programs

We Help Other Organizations

with innovative tools & training

We Impact Communities & Transform Systems

with best practices to improve community outcomes

Learn More

Events for you, that help them...

Be the Difference We Need for a Child

You have it. We need it.Skills, resources, and talents to help further our mission. Meet new people and feel good about making a difference in your community.

Join the Cause

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By continuing to use our site you agree to our Privacy Policy. ACCEPT

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California Non-Profit for Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention, Treatment & Welfare Services | Children's Bureau of Southern California

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Children's Bureau is a resource to at-risk families in Los Angeles and Orange Counties seeking parenting and child development support, behavioral health services, and those seeking to foster-adopt & related services.

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An LA-based team-building program for adults and students.

Millie Carrillo #1

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Fulcrum provides Los Angeles (LA)-based ropes courses, team building, personal growth, youth development, and leadership development training.

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Carmin Bobadilla #1

Helps parents create plans to support their child's independence. Has videos on how to improve communication.

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What do you know about teens and communication?

Take a 9-question quiz and find out.

Start

Select a video from the menu to find out what parents and teens think about communication and get expert advice on parenting teens.

How can parents and teens connect when it comes to communication? Select a topic and get talking!

Use this simple tool to plan ahead for conflicts about communication.

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Start Select a video from the menu to find out what parents and teens think about communication and get expert advice on parenting teens. How can parents and teens connect when it comes to communication? Select a topic and get talking! Use this simple tool to plan ahead for conflicts about communication.

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Hello everyone, this is a great resource for upcoming webinars and events for SEL and it also post past events for references.

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Tune in to timely discussions and events on social and emotional learning, including conversations on-demand that you may have missed.

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A famous poem by Dorothy Law Nolte makes it plain to see why it's critical to do and say what's right so children can follow the lead.

"If children live with acceptance, They learn to love. If children live with security, They learn to have faith in themselves and others. If children live with friendliness, They learn the world is a nice place in which to live." - Excerpt from Children Learn What They Live Poem by Dorothy Law Nolte

While it's important to teach young children the ABCs, there is more to education than academics. It's the responsibility of adults and schools to work together to produce well-rounded young people.

One of the best ways to instill the right values in children is for the adults around them to exhibit sound social and emotional skills.

Today, we'll unpack what social-emotional learning (SEL) for adults is all about in order to give you the tools needed to teach and raise the next generation.

What Is Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) For Adults?

Adult social and emotional learning refers to the processes and mechanisms by which adults learn how to manage the social and emotional aspects of their lives including:

Understanding, coping with and managing emotions

Defining values and their sense of purpose

Gaining confidence that doesn't border on arrogance

Having clear thought patterns

Developing a well-grounded understanding of their strengths and weaknesses

Building and reinforcing self-control

Managing life's challenges

Nurturing healthy relationships

Showing empathy and handling social relations well

If parents, teachers and the community at large exhibit these characteristics, young people can model their own emotional growth after what they see.

The table below shows the main SEL competencies and how they manifest themselves in people with healthy social and emotional development levels.

Competency: Self-Management
How It Presents?

The ability to manage oneself

Handling stress well

Setting boundaries

Following through with goals

Self-motivation

Controlling one's impulses

Self-organization

Regulation of emotions

Competency: Self-Awareness
How It Presents?

Identifying and naming emotions

Understanding who one is and having a precise self-perception

Recognizing and appreciating one's strengths

Self-confidence

Self-reliance

Competency: Social Awareness
How It Presents?

Appreciating different perspectives

Showing empathy

Tolerance and accepting diversity

Consideration and respect for others

Competency: Starting and Maintaining Healthy Relationships
How It Presents?

Effective communication

Healthy social engagement

Negotiation and relationship building

Promoting teamwork

Competency: Sound Decision-Making
How It Presents?

Identifying problems in different situations

Problem-solving

Evaluating choices

Self-reflection

Strong sense of ethical responsibility

Why Is Social-Emotional Learning Relevant for Adults?

Research shows that teachers are deeply affected by stress. They suffer from deteriorating wellbeing and mental health challenges as a result of dealing with a high-pressure job.

Due to the strain on their mental health, it's not uncommon for teachers to have low job satisfaction, ultimately leading to poor student outcomes. Implementing SEL for teachers can help them cope with the frustration and stress they face.

In addition, SEL helps teachers to better fulfill their roles, thereby improving the classroom environment and overall climate, creating a safe place for young people to thrive.

Studies have also shown that teachers with good mental health and positivity helped impart those skills onto their learners. Programs that help facilitate good mental health and positivity in teachers also lead to improved outcomes with students.

Parents, guardians, and community members should not be left out of SEL initiatives.

Research has shown that students are more likely to adopt SEL practices if they see their parents behave the same way. They also perform better in academic and social settings.

This is why it's important for schools and parents to pull in the same direction.

"I have noticed my son and I are more easily able to talk and be open with each other. He is trying harder in school and for most of the time at home. I feel we are closer than we have been in quite some time and communicate better with each other." - Participant in PA Family Class, Uintah County

How to Implement Adult Social-Emotional Learning in Your School and Community

SEL programs have a higher impact when schools partner with parents and communities.

Engage With Families and Communities

Start by establishing a partnership between the school and families. It's critical to understand parental attitudes and views about the SEL programs.

Take time to talk to families through school-parent meetings, surveys, or home visits to jointly develop a road map for implementing the program.

Talk about essential fundamentals such as:

The role they expect SEL to play in education

How much they know about social-emotional learning and its implications

How they define their involvement with SEL

Keep the lines of communication open, so you can come to a common understanding. By working hand in hand with parents and all stakeholders, you can encourage higher buy-in and bring the adult SEL program to fruition.

It is also helpful to hold school events at regular intervals for families and teachers to come together and share how they are coping with the programs.

Introduce Wellness and Self-Care Programs for Teachers

Have a designated self-care program as part of your staff development.

Choose innovative ways to encourage teachers to prioritize self-care, for example:

Facilitate professional self-development workshops and courses that focus on adult self-care training

Provide recreational team-building exercises

Create time or space dedicated to fitness and wellness, such as yoga or meditation rooms for teachers

Introduce teachers to mindfulness. For instance, begin meetings with a few minutes of mindfulness exercises

Help teachers by sourcing resources to reduce stress

Provide gym memberships or reimbursements

Create a Resource Bank

Have a pool of resources ready to help teachers and parents understand what SEL is all about. For instance, you can create an online portal and designated school office for teachers and parents to access materials and other social-emotional learning activities.

For the best results, choose an evidence-based SEL program like Positive Action that has a track record of success.

Positive Action provides a comprehensive one-stop model that focuses on helping people understand how to maintain positive thoughts, actions and feelings.

The Positive Action SEL curriculum offers a six-unit step-by-step guide as shown below:

Unit 1: Self Concept
Contents:

Thoughts-Actions-Feelings circle

Positive Action's philosophy

Why it's important to have a strong sense of self-concept

Unit 1: Self Concept
Contents:

Thoughts-Actions-Feelings circle

Positive Action's philosophy

Why it's important to have a strong sense of self-concept

Unit 2: Physical and Mental Wellbeing
Contents:

Actions that one can take to improve their physical wellbeing (for instance, maintaining a healthy diet and getting proper rest)

Intellectual positive activities such as critical thinking and problem solving

Unit 3: Unit 3: Self-Regulation
Contents:

Behaviors for wise personal management in all areas, including emotions and finances

Unit 4: Social Interactions
Contents:

How to get along with others

Empathy

Treating others as you would like them to treat you

Unit 5: Self-Honesty
Contents:

How to see through excuses and pinpoint the realities in a situation

Understanding one's strengths and being honest about weaknesses

Speaking with honesty to others

Unit 6: Self-Improvement
Contents:

How to use one's skills in all areas of life

Setting goals

Making plans

Exerting an effort to pursue goals

Consider the following options for your resource library:

The Family Kit comes with plenty of engaging materials that include lessons and activities for families. It encourages positive actions in the home and everywhere else within the community.

The Family Classes Kit comes with one Family Kit and instructor's manuals. The manuals provide instruction and classes that teach families the positive actions they need to implement in the home.

The Condensed Family Classes Kit is suited for community programs. It comes with materials for ten families, including seven classes and plenty of family activities.

The Parenting Classes Kit focuses only on parents. It includes the Family Kit, lessons, and activity booklets to help parents implement positive actions.

The Climate Kits for Secondary and Elementary levels help school administrators and teachers to implement actions that can turn the school climate around.

Creating an Enabling Environment for Learners to Thrive

Building a nurturing environment for children and youth starts with the adults in their lives.

That's why social-emotional learning for adults should be a priority at school, home, and in the community.

Get on board with Positive Action's family-oriented programs to bring a total transformation to the school and home environment based on positive thoughts, actions, and feelings. Our lessons have a 36-year track record of success in 16,000+ schools.

To find out more about how you can implement Positive Action's social and emotional learning initiatives in your school or district, schedule a webinar or get in touch with us today.

"This is a wonderful program, built on a good philosophy. The teachers are very enthusiastic, and we're getting good results." - Dixie Allen, District Director, Uintah County

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A Beginner's Guide to Social-Emotional Learning for Adults

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A famous poem by Dorothy Law Nolte makes it plain to see why it's critical to do and say what's right so children can follow the lead. "If children live with acceptance, They learn to love. If children live with security, They learn to have faith in themselves and others.

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SEL Activities for Adults | Wilfredo A #1

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Hello everyone, these are a few recommendations for activities to assist adults with Social Emotional Learning.

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As the ambassadors of adult SEL, school leaders set the tone for a positive school climate. This involves shaping how staff collaborate and develop professionally while cultivating and modeling their own social and emotional competence.

Research shows that school leaders who foster collaboration among teachers create strong school climates that ultimately lead to academic gains for students ( Allensworth & Hart, 2018). School leaders with strong social and emotional competencies are also better able to build and maintain positive and trusting relationships-a critical component of creating a positive, supportive, and effective school climate (Patti & Tobin, 2003). By consistently modeling SEL, prioritizing time for reflection and planning around SEL, and intentionally working to build relationships with school staff, administrators become visible ambassadors for schoolwide SEL.

Administrators also model SEL through collaborative leadership. Hank Rubin, president of the Institute of Collaborative Leadership, defines a collaboration as "a purposeful relationship in which all parties strategically choose to cooperate in order to accomplish a shared outcome." In collaborative leadership, leaders create an inclusive decision-making process. Using all five SEL competencies, collaborative leadership encourages a sense of ownership, responsibility, and trust among organization members. Collaborative leadership has also been found to positively impact student learning (Hallinger & Heck, 2010).
Administrator Actions:

Identify and prioritize opportunities for staff to learn, plan, and reflect on SEL.

Create protected time for staff to regularly collaborate with each other.

Embed into existing staff meetings intentional opportunities for adults to connect personally, interact in meaningful ways, and share appreciations and reflections.

Identify ways to explicitly model your own social and emotional competencies and development as you connect with individual staff members and seek feedback.

Ensure those who will be affected by decisions are included in decision-making processes, and that all decision-making teams are representative of the school community.

Administrator Resources:

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Social Emotional Learning Activities for Adults | CASEL - Casel Schoolguide

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The CASEL School Guide supports adult social and emotional learning with activities, professional development, and resources.

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Hi Friends! Here is the soft copy of the ZoR book I purchased, do not publicly share

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Toolkit of Resources for Engaging Families and the Community as Partners in Education Part 1: Building an understanding of family and community engagement 

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Toolkit of Resources for Engaging Families and the Community as Partners in Education Part 1: Building an understanding of family and community engagement 

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Dr. Olivares #2

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Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences | VetoViolence

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Explore new training and ensure all children grow up healthy and happy.

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Dr. Olivares #3

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Create an Account | Greater Good In Education

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With a GGIE account, you can save, organize and comment on practices. You can edit details any time and we will never sell your information.

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Welcome to Greater Good in Education! Explore our growing collection of 350+ practices related to social-emotional learning, character education, and mindfulness, drawn from the latest research.

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Find activities, practices, and tools to help you create happier, kinder, more equitable learning communities, drawn from research.

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Social_ Emotional_ and Academic Dev. Final.pdf