Local News and Resources
Know of local resources geared towards strengthening adult strategies and practices that support social emotional skill development in young people? E-mail
mgrife@ydekc.org.
Local Bright Spot: SEL Symposium Advisory Committee
“Who did you want to be at age 7 and how does that connect with what you are doing now?” This is the opening question one of the advisory committee members for the SEL/Whole Child Symposium posed at a recent committee meeting. Check outMay’s Bright Spot blog post to learn more about this committee.
Register now! Whole Child, Whole Day: A Social Emotional Learning Symposium
Highline College, 8/10/2018, 9:00AM-4:15PM
Join us at YDEKC’s 3rd annual Whole Child, Whole Day: A Social Emotional Learning Symposium on August 10th at Highline College! This interactive professional development experience is for practitioners and leaders working in the education and youth development sectors to eliminate opportunity gaps for young people aged 5 to young adult. More information and registration is available here! This event is free, with advance registration required. Don’t delay-space is limited!
New YDEKC Report!
Recommendations for Community Based Summer Learning Programs and School Partners. As planning is in full force for summer programming, we are pleased to share with you a new report about the state of summer learning in our region. YDEKC, in partnership with the Road Map Project, School’s Out Washington, and MEM consultants, worked with 14 programs to better understand summer learning programs. Read on here to learn about our findings and recommendations.
Expansion of Mental Health Services in King County Middle Schools
Check out the Best Starts for Kids latest blog post. Over 40 King County middle schools will be able to expand Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Services(SBIRT), a school based tool to promote mental health and prevent substance abuse. The program will reach as many as 35,000 each school year, for three years.
Quality-Outcomes Study for Seattle Public Schools Summer Programs, 2016 Program Cycle
During the summer of 2016, Seattle Public Schools, the Raikes Foundation, School’s Out Washington and the Weikart Center collaborated on a quality to outcomes study to find out if high quality summer programs would improve student’s academic skills. The report describes the performance in SPS’ summer learning programs and provides evaluative evidence for “an instructional model that includes challenging academic content and responsive instructional practices.” The study finds that a majority of the students increased their literacy and math skills during the program.
Promoting self-esteem among African-American girls through racial, cultural connections
Professor Janine Jones, Director of UW’s School Psychology program, set out to answer, “What happens when black students are encouraged to explore and embrace their racial identity at school?” Check out this article on her work and the promising data that shows cultivating a positive, self-image, exclusively around race and ethnicity, can make a difference in a young person’s confidence and student performance. “If we start addressing oppression by countering it with the humanness of who these kids are, we’re more likely to keep them engaged and feeling a sense of belonging.”
School’s Out Washington (SOWA) Summer Blast! 2018
Boys & Girls Club Topping Regional HOPE Center, 6/13-14/2018, 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Register for SOWA”S Summer Blast!, a 2-day training experience where Youth Development Professionals have a chance to gear up for their Summer Programs. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in a wide range of content such as ACES, On the Spot Fun, Large Group Management & much more. More details can be found here.
Launch of Laura van Dernoot Lipsky’s New Book
Seattle University, 6/10/2018, 5:00PM–6:30PM
The Trauma Stewardship Institute is celebrating the launch of Laura van Dernoot Lipsky’s “Overwhelmed: Strategies for the Long Haul”. Register for this free event.
Positive Discipline in the Classroom
2100 Building, 6/25-26/2018, 8:00AM-4:30PM
Create a classroom/school environment where students feel encouraged and engaged in learning, solve their own friendship issues, and feel a sense of connection and value. Register here.
Mindful Educator Retreat
IslandWood, 8/13-15/2018
This three-day retreat (with clock hours) is led by Space Between, an organization that brings research-based practices in yoga, breathing, and mindfulness to educators, and families across WA State. This retreat focuses on personal exploration and practical application of mindfulness for your classroom or school.
National News and Resources
Pursuing Social and Emotional Development Through a Racial Equity Lens: A Call to Action
The Aspen Institute has issued a concise and straightforward brief that points out that SEL development and work towards racial equity cannot be viewed as two separate bodies of work; instead they are mutually reinforcing. Check out the briefwith action steps.
Social Emotional Learning Diverse Book List for Grades PreK-8
Lee and Low Books launched their SEL Diverse Book list. Check it out! Books are organized in themes: Empathy, Positive Relationships, Recognizing & Managing Emotions, Problem-Solving, Grit & Perseverance, and Perspective-Taking. A supporting webinar for using this book list is also available.
Equity and SEL, Part 2: Districts Share Best Practices and Strategies
Check out CASEL’s latest webinar on Equity and SEL. This 2nd part of the series highlights resources and guidance from two school districts prioritizing Equity and SEL. Powerpoint slides and a recording can be found here.
New Findings Show that Youth Organizing Contributes to the Social-Emotional and Academic Development of Young People
The number of youth organizing programs/groups around the country has grown in recent years. Check out this recent report from the Funders’ Collaborative of Youth Organizing on the impact that these programs are making on young people. “Emerging research shows that involvement in youth organizing contributes to the social-emotional and academic development of young people in powerful ways, while also promoting their civic and community engagement.”
The Practice Base of How We Learn: Supporting Student’s Social, Emotional, and Academic Development
An essential read from the Aspen Institute for those who need to convince others of why it is essential to address the social, emotional, and cognitive dimension of learning and “how these dimensions together shape students’ academic and life outcomes.” The brief draws from brain science, medicine, economics, psychology, and education research and moves us towards how we can integrate social emotional learning into learning, instead of whether we should be doing this work.
How to Teach Teens about Love, Consent, and Emotional Intelligence
Check out this article on one of Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Making Caring Common Project studies that shows that young people (18-25 years old) are yearning for lessons and guidance on the emotional aspects of romantic relationships. The article also has a handful of tips from educators and researchers on how to effectively teach about love, consent and emotional intelligence.
The Growing Link Between SEL and Employability Skills
Check out Committee for Children’s blog post on their efforts in connecting employers and educators to raise SEL as part of workforce preparedness. Blog also includes links to the importance of SEL and employability skills and why educators should teach these skills.