I'm starting a newsletter about SEL.
"This Month in SEL" will provide a monthly recap of the most important headlines, policy updates, and resources related to social-emotional learning.
“I have no doubt that the survival of the human race depends at least as much on the cultivation of social & emotional intelligence as it does on the development of technical knowledge & skills.”
— Linda Darling-Hammond (Stanford Graduate School of Education)
The question of how students learn and develop has been at the forefront of national discourse for decades. From standardized testing to STEM, educators, administrators, parents, politicians, consultants, and researchers have long debated what it takes to support students’ growth and academic achievement.
These findings — in conjunction with major reports issued by organizations such as Boston Consulting Group, The World Economic Forum, and The Aspen Institute — have sparked a movement, leading to a heightened importance placed on the integration of social and emotional learning into early childhood curriculums, to the point at which federal legislation has been passed in many states to create K-12 standards in SEL and increase funding for such programs. Momentum is building across the country for schools and communities to empower individuals to develop the social, emotional, and acadmic skills that are necessary for success in school and in life.
Today, I am launching this newsletter as a platform to explore the growing conversation around social-emotional learning and to share information, inspiration, and news from the world of SEL. In addition to curated content and relevant headlines on a monthly basis, future iterations of This Month in SEL will feature interviews with leaders in education from across the country.
(If you’re interested in relevant articles from last year, you can view them on my blog: Inside SEL.)
My goal is for This Month in SEL to serve as a megaphone; to amplify the great work already being done by leaders across the country; to widely share the latest insights and resources. By providing a central location for sharing news and updates, I hope that This Month in SEL will help to initiate more meaningful conversations about how to enhance learning for all students.
Thank you for joining me on this journey, and please don’t hesitate to share your feedback, ideas, or questions.
—Nick Woolf
M.A. Candidate, Tufts University
Child Studies & Human Development