You may be thinking, What is SEL day? SEL Day is on Friday, March 10, and is a movement created by SEL4US and the Urban Assembly to connect Social-Emotional Learning champions from around the world. This year they are hosting a free, all-day Summit showcasing social and emotional learning best practices from states across the country and some programs across the globe. To build the anticipation, there is also “National SEL Week” leading up to SEL Day to further amplify the voices in the field, explain what social and emotional learning really is, and give educators access to resources to strengthen their programs.
Five Ways to Celebrate SEL Day!
The SEL Day team has made it easy to celebrate this year. The SEL Day website is full of tools and activities for you to use at your school or program, and Aperture Education has compiled 10 social and emotional learning activities for Grades K–8 for you to explore here. Below are five additional ways we would encourage you to consider celebrating the day!
#1 Read
We all know the world of district budgets and the need to demonstrate the effectiveness of programming. Understanding the research out there about why social and emotional learning is so important so that you can bring what you’ve learned into conversations can make a huge difference. The ROI of SEL guide lays out why social and emotional learning is so important and the short and long-term impacts of investing in social and emotional learning. Ready to learn more about what a 13% ROI on social and emotional learning means for your students and educators? Or how to advocate for this work during SEL Day and beyond? Download the full guide!
#2 Listen
Another great way to be inspired is by listening to other Social-Emotional Learning champions. For any successful initiative, you need the buy-in of the community. We had leaders from across the state of Connecticut join us to share how they got community buy-in for social and emotional learning. This is a video you don’t want to miss as it talks about Connecticut’s state-wide social and emotional learning initiative and how school districts are taking advantage of the opportunity!
#3 Act
Making explicit time to focus on SEL in addition to integrating it into academics is important. Check out our “What Matters Most” universal strategy to encourage students’ decision-making. Two elements of decision-making that are beneficial in learning to make positive, effective decisions are:
- Knowing why and how to make healthy choices even when it’s hard
- Building “Pause Power” that allows our brains time to make that choice.
The “What Matters Most” strategy teaches us how to do that! Access the strategy here!
#4 Discuss
Give students and educators a place and space to learn and talk about social and emotional learning. You may consider hosting an SEL assembly or having a guest speaker travel between grade levels to share their social-emotional learning story. Afterward, invite students to ask questions to learn more about the speaker’s social and emotional strengths.
#5 Share
Share the SEL love on March 10 and year-round. social and emotional learning focuses on the key skills students need to acquire to be future-ready. By sharing strength-based SEL messages, you are helping people understand what social and emotional learning really is compared to what people think it is. Share the reminder graphic below and other #selday resources on your social media accounts to amplify the importance of SEL!
Now It’s Your Turn!
Now that we’ve answered “What is SEL Day,” we want to know how you are celebrating! If you participate in SEL Day be sure to use #SELDay and tag us in your posts on social media. We look forward to seeing your posts!
Are you looking for ways to bring SEL into your school or program? Fill out the form below to be in touch with a member of our Partnership team.