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SEL+OST=Perfect Together: A Conference Report is a new publication from the Wallace Foundation that provides fresh insights on SEL in out of school time (OST). The report is based on a day-long meeting that brought together youth development leaders, researchers, and educators to look at two key challenges. The first involves developing the ability of adults to teach social and emotional skills. The second addresses communicating the importance of those skills to those who may be unaware of how vital they are. Topics explored in the report include research findings on nurturing social and emotional development, creating an environment where SEL can thrive, and language that can help parents and other caregivers understand why SEL is important. 

As the pandemic and the nationwide fight for racial justice amplify the longstanding inequities in education and other sectors, the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) has released a new report: Emerging Insights on Advancing Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) as a Lever for Equity and Excellence. The report summarizes five emerging insights on advancing SEL as a lever for equity and excellence that districts at all stages of their SEL implementation can reflect on as they shape their strategies.

Afterschool Alliance has created a two-part webinar series to help afterschool staff support students who have experienced trauma. Part 1 of the series focuses on using evidence to support trauma-informed approaches to healing in afterschool. Part 2 discusses how to create healing-centered environments in afterschool. The archived webinars are available with free registration. 

In response to events that have highlighted ongoing systemic racism and violence against the Black community, CASEL has offered a webinar series to prioritize equity and explicitly discuss racial injustice and equity through the lens of SEL. Topics include cultivating and communicating commitment, adult SEL to support antiracist practices, elevating student voice and vision, authentic partnerships with families and communities, and policy and data practices that dismantle inequities.

Since transitioning to remote learning, schools have drastically changed how staff, students, families, and communities engage with one another. From Response to Reopening: State Efforts to Elevate Social and Emotional Learning During the Pandemic, a new brief from CASEL, provides recommendations for states to continue their support of social and emotional learning (SEL) as schools prepare for the fall.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has developed fact sheets on how families, youth, and community organizations cope during times of financial difficulty. Each fact sheet helps the audience understand how economic challenges can affect them and their sense of safety. The fact sheets also provide tips for how individuals and organizations can promote a sense of security, calm, self-efficacy, connectedness, and hope.

In response to recent challenges in education and surrounding communities, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) has launched CASEL CARES, a new initiative that connects the social and emotional learning (SEL) community with experts to address how SEL can be most helpful in response to today’s circumstances. The initiative has included a webinar series on different SEL topics, including the importance of SEL, supporting SEL at home, and resilience.

The MCH Life Course Intervention Research Network and the National Academies’ Forum for Children’s Well-Being have collaborated to develop a webinar series on children’s mental health. The series identifies gaps in knowledge and explores new strategies for using existing data to enhance understanding of the developmental origins of mental disorders. It also reviews potential approaches to prevention and optimization and proposes new ways of framing how we understand, address, and prevent these disorders from a life course development perspective.

A feeling of connectedness, or the sense of “being cared for, supported, and belonging,” can have positive outcomes for youth. They are less likely to experience negative health outcomes related to sexual risk, substance use, violence, or mental health. They are also more likely to experience positive school outcomes, such as academic achievement, high grades and test scores, better attendance, and staying in school. A new article from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) provides an overview of adolescent connectedness and its importance. It also provides strategies to promote adolescent connectedness.

The U.S. Department of Education’s You for Youth (Y4Y) web portal for 21st CCLC programs has a new “Click & Go” training module on trauma-informed care. The training provides background, insights, and strategies for supporting students who have experienced trauma.