Key Points
Back to top- In honor of International SEL Day 2025, we’re excited to share this story of partners representing different countries collaborating to advance SEL for all students.
- In East Asia, interest in social and emotional learning (SEL) has sparked the launch of an international service-learning study abroad program, which showcases the power of community-centered, globally-minded SEL efforts.
- Students and faculty from San Francisco State University, for example, have worked alongside pre-service teachers from Woosong University and staff at FOX Learning Center in South Korea to co-develop and co-teach SEL programs for young Korean students.
- The program’s success has created a ripple effect, inspiring other educators, parents, and community leaders to adopt similar global SEL initiatives.
Note: This blog post is a collaboration of Jae H. Paik, Jong Tak Lee, and Danica Mavroudis.
When you think of the critical topic of children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development, it’s unlikely you think of China’s one-child policy. Implemented in the 1970s, the national policy limited most families to a single child in order to curb rapid population growth and support the country’s economy.
And yet, the two are connected—so much so that in the years leading up to the policy’s repeal in 2016, the Municipal Departments of Education in Chengdu (capital of China’s Sichuan province) invited a team of educational and school psychologists from San Francisco State University to assess the policy’s potential impact on students’ cognitive, social, and emotional development.
This international collaboration helped communities come together with a shared commitment to understand how cultural beliefs, policies, and practices all intersect to shape student learning and well-being. But it also highlighted a strong and growing trend: Social and emotional learning (SEL) is truly a global priority! This is seen all across East Asia, where education communities have become increasingly aware of the importance of a holistic approach to learning.
The growing global attention to SEL sparked an idea among psychology faculty: What if young emerging professionals—such as psychology undergraduates exploring careers in counseling, school psychology, or education—had the opportunity to engage in international experiential learning centered on SEL? Such experiences could not only broaden their perspectives, but also foster their own social-emotional growth, instill a sense of shared responsibility, and strengthen their ability to collaborate across diverse cultural contexts–all skills that are critical and desired for anyone in education and mental health professions.
Launching a Cross-Cultural SEL Experience
Back to topWhat began as a “what if …” soon evolved into a formal program proposal, leading to the launch of an international service-learning study abroad program. Since 2017, more than 16 undergraduates, graduate TAs, and faculty have traveled abroad each summer to China and South Korea to work directly with local colleges and school communities. Together, they deliver meaningful SEL experiences to young children, all while immersing themselves in new culture.
For example, students and faculty from San Francisco State University have worked alongside pre-service teachers from Woosong University in South Korea to co-develop and co-teach SEL programs for young Korean students. Lessons incorporate interactive storybook readings, engaging discussions, hands-on materials, art and movement activities, and mindfulness practices, highlighting the power of cross-cultural cooperation in teaching social and emotional skills.
Many undergraduates describe the program as a life-changing experience that will impact how they interact with, advocate for, and educate students in their future careers. The program also extends beyond the students, involving families in the standout event, “Family SEL Day,” where children and their families participate in collaborative games from different cultures (e.g., dreidel-like games and jump-rope activities) and participate in SEL-focused parent workshops.
This spirit of community is further strengthened by shared commitments to sustaining the program. For example, U.S. faculty and teachers contribute by providing guest lectures, while undergraduates deliver SEL lessons and cultural activities for school-aged students. In turn, local colleges and schools provide dormitory accommodations, school buses for transportation, school lunches, and memorable dinner outings. These partnerships have kept travel costs low, making the program accessible to many underrepresented students at San Francisco State University. Many of these students are now serving their school communities as school psychologists, counselors, program directors, and more—continuing the spirit of holistic and global-minded education.
A Ripple Effect
Back to topWhat’s even more inspiring is how these community-based SEL initiatives create a ripple effect. Those involved in the program eagerly share their stories through conversations with students and colleagues, presenting at conferences and professional gatherings, and writing blogs and research publications, sparking new conversations and new connections. Soon, parents, teachers, school leaders, program directors, and Departments of Education began asking their own “What ifs”—imagining similar opportunities for their students, teachers, and families.
As showcased in this video, a recent summer program in Daejeon, South Korea, involved 16 U.S. undergraduates, 38 Korean pre-service teachers, 20 U.S. elementary students, teachers, and families, and 48 Korean elementary students, who all came together for a culturally immersive SEL experience. A month later, U.S. elementary students welcomed their new Korean friends to their schools in California.
Before long, the initiative expanded into a multi-community effort, in which contributions became so intertwined that it is impossible to pinpoint who made what possible. Was it the PTA that sponsored the program and secured school classrooms? The teachers who volunteered their summer hours? The parents who packed lunch boxes and threw pizza parties? The undergraduates and graduate TAs who stayed late to work on SEL lessons and help children build friendships?
Higher education institutions like San Francisco State University, with their mission of “fostering community engagement” and “social responsibility to bring positive changes in the world,” can play a role in this global ripple effect in SEL. However, to truly serve students, SEL must remain community-centered and community-focused. With advancements in communication and increased mobility across borders, the potential to establish global SEL communities is limitless, driven by the innovative approach and commitment to such collaborative experience. We hope that these global SEL initiatives will expand to include diverse communities from all corners of the world, and we look forward to sharing more in the future!
For more detailed information about the global SEL initiatives shared in this blog, please refer to the article published in the journal Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy.
The views in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of CASEL.
Jae H. Paik, professor of psychology at San Francisco State University, directs the International Service-Learning program and SEL research, promoting global awareness of evidence-based, culturally responsive SEL practices. With decades of experience collaborating with educational communities worldwide, she currently leads SEL initiatives in schools across the U.S., Korea, India, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Philippines, and beyond.
Jong Tak Lee, director of FOX Learning Center and Fox Edu in South Korea, collaborates with public school systems and after school programs in South Korea to integrate SEL into STEAM education. He directs a laboratory learning center where new technology-driven strategies for SEL and STEAM activities are actively developed and refined with Korean students.
Danica Mavroudis, research associate at FOX Edu, has worked in both the U.S. and South Korea to develop and implement SEL programs that connect children and educators across these communities. She has also played an integral role in examining the impact of global SEL initiatives on American and Korean students, using the findings to inform future program development.
Related Posts:
- SEL Week: Business Leaders Tell Us What It Takes to Thrive at Work. (Hint: It’s SEL Skills.)
- SEL Week 2025: 5 Stories About How SEL Builds a Foundation for the Future
- SEL Week 2025: From Classroom to Career—Why SEL Skills Matter Everywhere
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