SEL/Trauma-informed Care

Consider these three things everyone should know about SEL in afterschool:

1. Research tells us that SEL and afterschool are a perfect match.
2. Afterschool allows kids to learn SEL skills in a fun, engaging way.
3. SEL-focused training helps afterschool providers become strong role models and mentors.

From “3 Things Everyone Should Know About SEL In Afterschool”, National Afterschool Association article

Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines social and emotional learning (SEL) as an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.

The missions of the New Jersey based and national organizations below are committed to promoting SEL for youth and adults.

1. SEL4NJ
   a. The mission of SEL4NJ is to continuously build a network of organizations and individuals in New Jersey that are committed to the importance of developing students’ social and emotional competencies, and through this collaboration, promote a systematic and intentional integration of SEL, as broadly defined, in schools and other organizations, including before and after school programming.
2. NJ DCF Office of Resilience
   a. The purpose of the office is to host, coordinate and facilitate statewide initiatives related to raising awareness of and creating opportunities to eradicate Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, through grassroots and community-led efforts, technical assistance and strategic support for organizations already pursuing this work.
   b. NJ ACES Action Plan: offers a path toward the state’s trauma-informed/healing-centered goal through five core strategies that aim to reduce — and ultimately prevent — ACEs in NJ:
   i. Achieve Trauma-Informed and Healing-Centered State Designation
   ii. Conduct an ACEs Public Awareness and Mobilization Campaign
   iii. Maintain Community-Driven Policy and Funding Priorities
   iv. Provide Cross-Sector ACEs Training
   v. Promote Trauma-Informed/Healing-Centered Services and Supports
3. Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
   a. CASEL’s mission is to help make evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) an integral part of education from preschool through high school.
   b. CASEL Framework
   i. The “CASEL wheel,” helps cultivate skills and environments that advance students’ learning and development.
4. Resources
   a. SEL TO THE CORE: Building from Foundational Youth Development to Support Social and Emotional Learning
   b. The Wallace
   Foundation: Navigating Social and Emotional Learning from the Inside Out -Looking Inside and Across 33 leading SEL Programs: A Practical Resource for Schools and OST Providers; Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition
   i. Early Lessons from Schools and Out-of-School Time Programs Implementing Social and Emotional Learning
   c. Kernels of Practice for SEL: Low-Cost, Low-Burden Strategies:
   i. This brief explores the need to develop and test social and emotional learning strategies that target specific behaviors and can be taught quickly.
   d. NAA: Developing Adults’ Capacity to Promote
   e. NAA: Developing Partnerships with Schools to Advance SEL Efforts