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This Month's SEL Conversation / December 2023

This month’s SEL-inspired art comes from Catcher, a ninth grade student in Atlanta Public Schools

Dear Carolina,

Reflecting on the past year, the word that springs to mind is impact.

Innovations in research and implementation deepened the scope and effectiveness of SEL. The circle of SEL advocates expanded among all who care about the future of our youth. Education leaders and students accelerated SEL efforts and fueled commitment to face the challenges ahead. 

In short, 2023 was most notable for the many educators, researchers, policy leaders, parents, and students who made a real impact on the lives of young people. Let’s look back on the year’s most impactful moments and consider:

How can this year’s lessons light the way for future SEL advances?

Below, we summarize three of the biggest SEL moments of the year. Read our full 2023 SEL Year in Review here.

Groundbreaking Research Deepened the Evidence Base for Effective SEL Implementation 

This year, several major reports added to the long-standing evidence base for SEL. Dr. Christina Cipriano et al.’s assessment of 424 studies from 53 countries found significant improvement in school climate, including feelings of connection and belonging, better relationships, less bullying, and an increased sense of safety. At CASEL, we studied SEL innovations and how to build authentic partnerships with schools, families, and communities. We also cultivated new research across the field, publishing the first articles in our independent SEL Journal and welcoming a new cohort of Weissberg Scholars. 



SEL Champions Around the Globe Accelerated the Movement

Across the nation, young people, parents, educators, and community members called for a deeper focus on SEL in schools and rejected political attempts to ban SEL. From students in Michigan to teachers in Utah and business leaders in Missouri, we heard loud and clear that communities value the importance of this work. 

Building upon the success of International SEL Day, we launched the first-ever National SEL Week with a bipartisan resolution in the U.S. Senate and the SEL Superpowers Unite! Campaign. Outside of the U.S., the global priority for SEL continues to expand, and SEL champions from 36 countries and 47 U.S. states came together for the largest ever SEL Exchange.



Urgent Conversations on Academic Recovery, Well-Being, and Technology 

States and districts continued prioritizing SEL as part of pandemic recovery efforts to address the urgency around academic learning loss and mental health concerns. Given these priorities, we heard teachers want more SEL and improvements to the SEL their schools currently offer. As concerns about teacher retention and well-being grew, we also saw the importance of SEL in helping to create the kind of supportive environments where both adults and students can thrive.

Additionally, 2023 saw the emergence of an urgent discussion about the use of generative artificial intelligence, or AI, in education. CASEL president and CEO Dr. Aaliyah A. Samuel joined Stan Litow to assess how SEL could give students a competitive edge over AI in the workplace, Margot Toppen asked if there is a way to combine AI and SEL to support student mental well-being, and SEL Exchange panelists Dr. Kristal Ayre and Dr. Christina Gardner-McCune urged a spirit of exploration about what AI can offer.

Una Introducción al Aprendizaje Social y Emocional

NEW: Free Introduction to SEL course now available in Spanish!

Obtenga más información sobre el aprendizaje social y emocional (SEL), reflexione sobre cómo se conecta con su vida diaria y sus relaciones con los jóvenes, y planifique oportunidades para SEL en el próximo mes. Empezar

Community Spotlight

Learn more about the Weissberg Scholars

Share With Your Network

• Education Week: Restorative Justice Is Not Just an Alternative to Discipline

• CASEL Blog: “We teach who we are, not just what we know.” What Top Researchers Had to Say About Adult SEL

• January 16: Registration deadline for CASEL Workshop Series on Leading Schoolwide SEL

• March 4–8: Sign up for National SEL Week and International SEL Day

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