Strengthening Social-Emotional Health & Learning

Equip students for life's challenges

“

Social-emotional learning is more than teaching young people to manage stress – it makes academic instruction personal and lasting. Designing environments where they can set goals, grapple with challenges, and navigate social dynamics with empathy fosters healthy, resilient communities.

— Alexis Lassus, MS Ed
Whole Child Health National Advisor, Social-Emotional Learning

Our evidence-based approach helps schools:

Foster interpersonal skills

Equip all members of the community with skills to achieve goals, strengthen relationships, and navigate life’s challenges.

Promote agency

Design learning environments that promote belonging for all and empower communities to put social-emotional learning into action.

Support resilience and growth mindset

Guide students to learn from mistakes, consider consequences, solve conflicts, and make thoughtful choices.

Get Recognized for Strengthening Social-Emotional Health & Learning

Meet these criteria to qualify as one of America’s Healthiest Schools.

1

Instructional staff use all of the following methods to motivate learning and class participation:

Providing consistent opportunities for student connection

Structuring classes to be responsive to student perspectives and needs

Providing opportunities for student voice in school policies and practices

Providing opportunities for students to set their own goals and supporting their progress

Aligning evaluation with a focus on improvement and mastery

Using Implements a SEL curriculum for all students at every grade level rewards and avoiding the use of food as a reward or incentive

To be eligible for an award, you'll need to be doing each one of these things. Learn how >

✅ Nice going! The award application will ask you to provide:

Upload at least one (1) communication document sent to families on the positive motivation methods all teachers used to increase class participation and learning while avoiding the use of food as a reward or incentive.
Describe how the positive motivation method(s) in the uploaded communication document provided opportunities for student voice, responded to student needs, or used goal setting to improve performance.

2

Our school:

Implements a SEL curriculum for all students at every grade level

Uses an evidence-based, Provides continuous professional learning to all staff (including non-instructional staff) on SEL curriculum implementation, active, focused, and explicit SEL curriculum

Provides continuous professional learning to all staff (including non-instructional staff) on SEL curriculum implementation

Models and reinforces SEL skills in all learning environments daily

Reviews data to determine the impact of SEL curriculum at least once per year

To be eligible for an award, you'll need to be doing all of these.
Find resources to help >

✅ Great job! The award application will ask you to:

Provide the social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum''s name(s) used by all teachers that provide SEL instruction (e.g., Harmony SEL, WINGS for Kids, Caring School Community, Second Step, MindUP).
Describe how often each grade had SEL instruction, what staff professional learning on SEL implementation was provided this school year, and how staff modeled and reinforced SEL skills across all learning environments daily.

3

Our school’s calming spaces are:

Available in all learning environments

Accessible to all students when needed

Developmentally appropriate

Effective

Created in collaboration with students

To be eligible for an award, you'll need to be doing all of these.
Find resources to help >

✅ Great job! The award application will ask you to:

Describe how all students had access to a calming space(s) to self-regulate across learning environments.
Upload at least one (1) guidance document sent to all school staff on how to establish and maintain calming spaces, including location, procedures for use, available materials, and accessibility to all students when needed.

4

Our school:

Uses the principles of reflection and restoration

Allows exclusionary discipline only as a last resort, including removal of extracurricular activities

Prohibits the use or withholding of physical activity as punishment

Includes timely communication with parents and caregivers

Reviews disciplinary data, disaggregated by subpopulations, at least once per year

To be eligible for an award, you'll need to be doing all of these.
Find resources to help >

✅ Great job! The award application will ask you to:

Describe how your school team responded to students'' minor behavior incidents with the principles of reflection and restoration, prohibited the use of physical activity as punishment (e.g., walking laps), and used exclusionary practices (e.g., withholding recess) as a last resort.
Describe how your school team responded to students'' major behavior incidents with the principles of reflection and restoration, may refer students to social-emotional behavioral (SEB) interventions, and used exclusionary discipline (e.g., removal from the learning environment) as a last resort.
Upload at least one (1) communication document sent to families sharing your supportive discipline practices used this school year.

Could you be one of America's Healthiest Schools?

Let’s make your vision a reality!
My team is here to help you become one of America’s Healthiest Schools.

—Naomi, Member Engagement & Support Team

Call 888-543-4584, book a chat, or send an email

Resources to Strengthen Social-Emotional Health & Learning

Want to strengthen self-management and relationship skills? Take 10 minutes to develop effective calming spaces available to all your students.

Resolve conflicts and address harm in a productive and fair way. Use the planning guide, scripted questions, and communication templates to uncover root causes and promote accountability.

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Practical strategies to boost student motivation in school and at home and build self-motivation and independence through a supportive approach.

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Use these 10 instructional and co-regulation practices to design a learning environment that increases time spent regulated and engaged. When that’s not enough, use the provided strategies to take a Me Moment.

In this panel discussion, we will discuss how building a culture of caring schools can address chronic absenteeism. Participants will leave with an understanding of creating a personal caring presence and creating a caring classroom environment.