Social and Emotional Learning

Parents/guardians know their children best. Life skills begin in a child’s home and are reinforced in school and in out-of-school time programs.  They’re needed on playgrounds, in lunchrooms, hallways, and out-of-school settings. Out-of-school time activities also provide opportunities to practice skills like sharing, leadership, entering social situations and social inclusion. SEL is not a distraction from—and does not take time away from—school-day academic learning or afterschool homework help.
Research shows that SEL is essential for learning and increases academic performance. For example, communication, teamwork and conflict resolution are needed in school and in the workforce.

In an afterschool program, SEL might look like gathering in a circle to help youth learn more about each other or taking a moment to pause and regroup between different parts of the day.
Afterschool programs may choose SEL activities that focus on a specific topic—for example, an activity that teaches about how it feels to be excluded and shows ways to include a classmate who might feel left out. Activities such as these benefit youth of all backgrounds.