Past Event
Social and Emotional Learning: Time for Action
The five-day highly-interactive session provided a retreat environment to stimulate new thinking and insights around ways to overcome existing and anticipated blockages to the establishment of SEL programs. Participants compared theory, policy and practice from across different SEL networks, opening up new perspectives and intensive learning opportunities. The program combined presentations by groundbreaking practitioners, cross-sector panel discussions, and curated conversations. Participants also worked in smaller focus groups that meet several times to develop ideas, arguments and new approaches in greater depth.
Over the course of the five-day program, participants addressed the following questions:
- How do we convince the unconvinced? The argument for SEL is not yet won and as SEL programs become more established and better known, there may be more push back from stakeholders with differing priorities.
- What does current best SEL practice look like and how can it be developed in new parts of the world?
- How important is definitional clarity around key SEL concepts as the work moves forward?
- What SEL training will teachers and other educators need, and how can they develop their own social and emotional skills?
- What does a 21st century curriculum need to look like? How can the full range of learning opportunities that contribute towards the acquisition of social and emotional skills be recognized?
- How do we measure social and emotional skills in a way which is equitable and does not lead to cultural normalization?
- What are the next steps that education leaders and other stakeholders can take to leverage SEL opportunities?
- How can we create better collaboration and learning across different education systems?