Build KNOWLEDGE & Skills

Student Success Network “Bright Spot” practitioners are clear that one-off activities are not enough. Adults need to create a supportive environment in order for activities and practices to take root. Student Success Network staff captured six foundations that “Bright Spot” practitioners see as building blocks of an environment that supports youth SEL development.

Use this Reflection Tool to:

Reflect on ways your program is currently supporting youth SEL development;
Identify new ways to support SEL development in your program.

Foundations For Youth SEL Development_11.12.19.pdf

A Creative Approach to Adult SEL (Lulu & Leo Fund)

Skill-building Session; Expo Workshop

Stephanie Krieger and Debra Disbrow of the Lulu & Leo Fund shared their organization's approach to adult social-emotional learning: the 10 Principles of Creativity. Through activities and discussion, participants explored the power of choosing creativity in their daily work and brainstormed how they could bring adult SEL -- through the Principles -- back to their own organization.

tags: adult SEL; growth mindset; self-efficacy

Adults as Mirrors and Models: Targeting Adult SEL Competencies (Ramapo for Children)

EXPO Worskhop

Cecily Mitchell-Harper gave participants a taste of Ramapo’s professional development training, which supports participants to: (1) increase their capacity to recognize their own triggers and feelings in their work with young people and develop plans for managing their emotions, (2) engage young people in constructive problem solving by decoding behavior into feelings and offering alternatives, (3) create structures and routines for self-reflection, processing conflicts, goal setting and stress-management, (4) foster environments that promote positive and empathetic relationships between all members of the community.

tags: adult SEL; social-emotional learning

Collaborative Approaches to Building Student SEL (ENACT)

EXPO Worskhop

Greg Cox and Alicia Thompson engaged participants in a a reflection activity that, in true ENACT form, incorporated improvisation, creativity, and joy. The ENACT team presented their approach on building partnerships, focusing on their partnership with Zone 126, and then asked participants to think about organizations that they might be able to collaborate with in order to help students reach their goals. Through discussion, pair shares and some acting, participants learned the different factors that play into creating partnerships with organizations who share similar vision, and to maintain them.

tags: partnership

Edutopia

External Resource

Edutopia shines a spotlight on what works in education. They show people how they can adopt or adapt best practices, and tell stories of innovation and continuous learning in the real world.

Their social and emotional learning resources include guides and videos for helping students develop skills to manage their emotions, resolve conflicts, and make responsible decisions.

Access Edutopia SEL Resources

Finding their Why: Infusing Positive Youth Development Principles into College Readiness Activities (OBT)

EXPO Workshop

Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow’s College Access Director, Robin Blanc, and CAP Counselor Shayaun Pakizegi led participants through their journey of creating a college access program that prioritized self-efficacy and motivation in youth. After a small group discussion into the research surrounding efficacy and motivation, the OBT team shared their model for backwards planning, which incorporated positive youth development throughout their framework. Participants then divided into groups focused on different facets of college readiness, and brainstormed goals, and the activities that would lead them to achieve them.

tags: workforce development, out-of-school youth, opportunity youth, postive youth development, self-efficacy, motivation, backwards planning, college access, post-secondary access and readiness

Goal Setting to Promote Positive Academic Behaviors & Growth Mindset (Good Shepherd Services YABCs & HEAF)

EXPO Workshop

tags: goal-setting, mastery-based experiences, academic behaviors, growth mindset, opportunity youth, overage under-credited youth, yabc, middle school, goals

Growth Mindset YouTube Challenge (CitySquash)

Skill-building Session

tags: mastery-based experiences, growth mindset, middle school

Growth Mindset For 9th Graders (PERTS)

External Resource

Growth Mindset for 9th Graders is an evidence-based program designed to increase 9th grade students’ academic motivation, resilience, and achievement. Research shows that schools can boost performance—particularly for students with a history of academic struggle—by helping students develop a growth mindset: the belief that they can develop their academic abilities through effective study strategies.

Online program delivered in two 30-minute sessions. Includes survey questions, short reading passages, and brief reflection exercises. Students will learn:

Scientific evidence showing that the brain is malleable.
Specific behaviors that can rewire the brain and increase one’s intellectual abilities.
The importance of effective study strategies and of getting help from others.

Guide to Schoolwide SEL: Out-of-School Time Tools (CASEL)

External Resource

The School Guide’s four focus areas help you organize, implement, and improve your SEL efforts. The focus areas are: (1) build awareness, commitment, and ownership, then create a plan; (2) strengthen adult SEL; (3) promote SEL for students; and (4) practice continuous improvement.

Access the Guide

Improving Student Engagement and Retention (Let's Get Ready)

EXPO Workshop

tags: inspiring practice, engagement, retention, attendance, data, practical measure, continuous improvement, using data, understanding data, goal-oriented & mastery-based experiences, growth mindset, belonging

Institutionalizing SEL: Two Organizations' Approaches (Phipps Neighborhoods and YMCA)

EXPO Workshop

We all know social-emotional learning is important. But where does an organization that wants to take a strategic, coordinated approach to building SEL into the culture of their organization start? In this session, participants heard two organizations that have taken different paths discuss what they’ve done, what they’ve learned, and where they’re going next.

To guide action, this resource is organized into five sections:

Vision of Student Success
Student Learning Experience
Adult Learning in Support of Student Success
Learning Environment and School Climate
Asset Mapping and Resource Allocation.

Integrating Social, Emotional and Academic Development: An Action Guide for School Leadership Teams (The Aspen Institute Education and Society Program)

External Resource

This action guide provides school leadership teams with a resource for integrating the social, emotional and academic needs of young people into the daily student experience.

Each section summarizes foundational research, identifies equity implications, offers guiding questions to stimulate inquiry, and suggests high-impact actions. Finally, there are vignettes that illustrates what this looks like in practice, and links to curated resources that support deeper exploration of the issues and opportunities.

Access the Action Guide

Playbooks (Character Lab)

External Resource

A Playbook is a ready-to-use resource that targets a specific character strength. Award-winning Playbooks are codeveloped by educators, scientists, and designers, wedding the expertise of each profession in one resource.

Playbooks:

Curiosity
Gratitude
Grit
Intellectual Humility
Kindness
Purpose
Self-Control
Social Intelligence

Access Playbooks

Research + Role-play: Designing Student Centered Curriculum (Opportunity Network)

EXPO Workshop

Stephanie Nudelman and Meshay Long shared how and when practitioners can survey students to discover how they like to learn, how they can adapt our curriculum to leverage staff strengths and meet student needs, and how to design Educational Live Action Role-play (Edu-LARP) to teach skills.

Reunite, Renew and Thrive: SEL Roadmap for Reopening School (CASEL)

External Resource

The SEL Roadmap is designed to support school leaders and leadership teams in planning for the transition back to schools, in whatever form that takes. Schools at any stage of SEL implementation can use this roadmap to build upon existing efforts around community-building, school climate improvement, student well-being and mental health, trauma-responsive learning environments, restorative practices, and social and emotional competency development. It is also intended to help you reflect and act upon what you can do that is different—to leverage the historical moment we are in.

The SEL Roadmap offers four SEL Critical Practices, each with 3-5 activities. Within each activity, users are guided through Essential Questions, Actions to Prepare & Implement, and Tools to Support the Actions. You’ll also find Guidance to Sustain the Work. Critical Practices include:

Take time to cultivate and deepen relationships, build partnerships, and plan for SEL.
Design opportunities where adults can connect, heal, and build their capacity to support students.
Create safe, supportive, and equitable learning environments that promote all students’ social and emotional development.
Use data as an opportunity to share power, deepen relationships, and continuously improve support for students, families, and staff.

Access the SEL Roadmap and Tool Index

SEL Integration Approach (Transforming Education)

External Resource

Access the Quick Reference and Companion Guides

Transforming Education’s SEL Integration Approach outlines how educators can integrate social-emotional learning (SEL) in a way that is flexible, culturally responsive, anti-racist, and aligned with ongoing academic experiences in the classroom. It leverages best practices in pedagogy to support an intentional approach to social-emotional learning.

Examine and Cultivate sit at the core of SEL integration; educators who examine their own identities and the systems within their school communities, as well as how these impact the student experience, are better equipped to cultivate strong relationships and supportive environments.
Teach, Model, and Coach are practices that build on the core elements of examination and cultivation to dynamically foster the development of social-emotional competencies and mindsets.

SEL Tools and Toolkits (Transforming Education)

External Resource

TransformEd translates findings from their day-to-day work with an extensive network of partners into tools and resources that can help educators. They have strategies and toolkits for self-efficacy, self-management, growth mindset, and more.

Recently, TransformEd released an Educator SEL Toolkit and a Trauma-Informed SEL Toolkit.

Access the Tools

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