Social-Emotional Learning Helps Our Kids Be More Than Just Okay

Second Step® Program Creator Publishes Video to Give Families a Look into How SEL is Taught in Classrooms and How it Supports Academics, Wellness, and Critical Life Skills Development 

SEATTLE, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After years of interrupted learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our nation's youth are struggling. For students to fully recover academically, socially, and emotionally, our classrooms need to be places where they can strengthen problem-solving skills, improve confidence, and rebuild essential interpersonal skills as they return this fall. It's not just about getting back to "normal"—it's about actively investing in our children's wellness so they can succeed and thrive.

Social-emotional learning, or SEL, is a critical component of education and human development. It's the process through which young people develop essential life skills like communication, problem-solving, and managing stress. These skills set them up for success in the classroom and beyond. Unfortunately, SEL has become a political target in recent months, causing the term to be misunderstood and misrepresented, distracting us from the challenges our kids and schools face.

Global nonprofit organization Committee for Children, the leading provider of research-based social-emotional learning programs known as Second Step, developed a video that gives families an inside look into how SEL is taught in classrooms. The video also shows how, by teaching foundational life skills at home and at school, we can help our kids thrive and be more than just okay.

Watch and Share: https://youtu.be/ZSLmNr2sOMQ 

"We've found that when parents and families truly understand the fundamental everyday life skills, like communication and self-discipline, that their children learn in our programs and see for themselves what social-emotional learning looks like in practice, there's an ah-ha moment and broad support for SEL among families of all backgrounds across the political spectrum," says Committee for Children CEO Andrea Lovanhill.

Survey data from Committee for Children and the Benenson Strategy Group found that parents across party lines overwhelmingly support SEL in their child's school:

• Results show that 81% of Republicans and 79% of Democrats whose child's school currently teaches SEL said the schools should do more or are doing the right amount of SEL instruction
• Additionally, over 75% of parents responded that they support SEL because they see how teaching SEL creates a positive classroom environment where children learn the skills they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond

"This isn't about politics or ideology; it's about working together as parents and educators to ensure that our kids are healthy, happy, successful humans inside and outside the classroom," said Lovanhill. "Creating a positive environment where children learn how to focus and be productive means more confident kids with higher academic achievement. It's as simple as that."

To learn more about how to get involved in ensuring children have access to social-emotional learning, visit BeMoreThanJustOkay.org and take action for SEL.

Committee for Children is a global nonprofit on a mission to ensure that children everywhere can thrive emotionally, socially, and academically. We've been working in partnership with families and educators for more than 40 years to help children learn, grow, and thrive, and we're proud to serve more than 24.4 million kids worldwide. A foundational pillar of our work is developing and supporting the use of our research- and evidence-based Second Step social-emotional learning programs used across 43,000 U.S. school districts. Visit cfchildren.org to learn more.

Media Contact
Jordana Ehling, [email protected], 206-438-6378

SOURCE Committee for Children