At Positive Pieces, it’s our firm belief that every day should be SEL Day – so you can imagine our enthusiasm to join with the thousands of other SEL champions around the world to celebrate the 2024 International SEL Day on Friday, March 8th.
SEL Day is a global, grassroots campaign for social-emotional learning to support children’s academic recovery, mental health and wellbeing. This year’s theme speaks directly to the positive outcomes social-emotional learning has for students:
Today’s Students, Tomorrow’s Leaders
The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) define SEL as 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.
As the Australian & New Zealand publishers of the Second Step SEL program for Early Learning through Grade 8, we see firsthand how an evidence-based and universal social-emotional learning program can equip students with the skills they need to become future leaders. Second Step research-based programs are designed to help students and adults strengthen social-emotional skills like empathy, resilience, and managing emotions to build a more positive, supportive school climate.
When implemented with fidelity, here are just some of the ways SEL positively impacts students, and school communities as a whole:
SEL helps students develop critical skills
Empathy, communication, problem solving, conflict resolution, and self-regulation are lifelong skills that prepare children to build and maintain positive relationships, excel academically, make responsible decisions, and collaborate in the workplace.
SEL helps young people to reach their potential
SEL fosters skills for learning and there is ample research to suggest that when educators create an environment that values and respects students, affirms their identities and supports their growth, students are motivated – and earn higher grades and test scores. Creating supportive conditions for learning fosters engagement and motivates young people to reach their potential.
SEL sets Kindergartners up for success
Kindergartners with stronger SEL skills are more likely to attain a university degree, more likely to earn a high school diploma, and more likely to have a full-time job at age 25.
SEL Day is an opportunity to collectively spread the word about the importance and impact of social emotional learning. Working together, we can raise awareness for SEL, bring on new SEL stakeholders, create artifacts that demonstrate SEL in action, share SEL best practices… and more! Here’s how you can take part in the #SELDay celebrations:
Join us in celebrating International SEL Day on March 8, 2024. Sign up today to showcase, promote, advocate and support SEL in your community.
Please help spread the word by sharing this announcement with your networks!
This customisable presentation can help you put forth the case for SEL to stakeholders and the wider community.
Engage with your wider community using this social media toolkit, complete with ideas for posts and free image templates.
Positive Pieces Education is the Australian and New Zealand publisher of the Second Step social-emotional learning program. Learn more