This school year, students and teachers are facing challenges like never before. Students are feeling the emotional impact of adjusting to distance learning, grappling with a rapidly changing world and coping with being away from friends and peers.
When teachers have the necessary tools to address the social and emotional learning (SEL) needs of their students, not only can they help students re-focus on learning, but they can also help build well-rounded, emotionally mature young adults.
Helping Students Thrive through Social and Emotional Learning
Last month, The Allstate Foundation fully funded 1,817 SEL project requests from 1,703 teachers across the country, giving teachers tools to help their students build emotional resilience and handle the challenges around them. This funding reached teachers and students at 1,585 schools.
“Our gift rewards the resilience so many teachers and students have shown through such a turbulent time for schools, educators, and families,” said Allstate’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Brand Stacy Sharpe. “It’s especially important this year to make sure students and teachers have what they need to be successful.”
The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines social and emotional learning as the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
Criteria for qualifying projects was developed using resources from CASEL’s five core competencies framework:
- Self-awareness
- Self-management
- Social awareness
- Relationship skills
- Responsible decision making
Qualifying projects spoke to culturally relevant teaching, mindfulness, community leadership, self-regulation, coping strategies, responsible citizens, managing social situations, and managing anxiety.
For more information about The Allstate Foundation’s commitment to SEL and resources for teachers and families, visit AllstateFoundation.org.
