This Month's SEL Conversation / May 2023

This month’s SEL-inspired art: 1st & 2nd Grade Mental Health Posters

Dear Carolina,

Social connection. Belonging. Caring adults. Tools to help manage stress and navigate big emotions. 

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’re talking about the critical ingredients for every young person’s mental wellness. While social and emotional learning (SEL) is not a replacement for mental health services, it offers preventative tools such as supportive relationships, healthy environments, and skills that help us cope and stay resilient.

The focus on every students’ mental wellness is particularly important during this time of year–as many students transition from school to summer vacation, while others embark on life after high school. As we raise awareness about mental health this month, let’s ask ourselves:

What role can SEL play in supporting the mental wellness of all young people during this season of change?

Read on for more about how SEL can promote positive mental health.

SEL & Mental Health: The Healing Effects of Social Connection

“What if there is something in our everyday lives that can transform our whole health and well-being? That something is called social connection.” These words open a new advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General on the healing effects of social connection and community. The advisory makes specific recommendations for schools, including the creation of supportive school environments that foster belonging. As both students and adults face increased loneliness and isolation, SEL helps create a sense of community where all students feel connected and valued. As the Surgeon General makes clear, having close relationships is “as essential to survival as food, water, and shelter.”



SEL & Mental Health: Preparing Young People for School Transitions

As we approach the end of the school year, many students are preparing for big transitions in their education. Whether moving up a grade, changing schools, or graduating into the world, these transitions can have major social and emotional impact. Unfortunately, research shows that two out of five students fail to reach expected progress following the move to secondary education. That’s why attending to children’s social and emotional needs is especially important as they experience new environments and shifts in their routines. SEL can help students understand how they’re feeling about these changes, build their awareness of what others are experiencing, and help us all create welcoming new environments. When students have the right tools and relationships, big transitions can become a springboard for long-term success.



SEL & Mental Health: Listening to Students and Educators

Across the country, students and educators are raising awareness about the importance of mental health and SEL. High school junior Perriel Pace is asking her community to prioritize SEL and student voice to create trusting relationships and supportive environments for all students. And she’s not alone: students across the country increasingly identify mental health as an obstacle to learning and say they’re feeling less connected. Similarly, teachers are calling for greater focus on SEL and improvements to the SEL their school already offers, according to a new survey. Teachers say that SEL, along with building family-school partnerships and increased support personnel and services, is an essential part of addressing the youth mental health crisis.

Calling All Sponsors: The 2023 SEL Exchange returns in person this Fall! Secure your sponsorship today at the nation’s largest forum on social and emotional learning. Act now, limited spots remain!

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