In this brief, you’ll learn about the journeys of districts in Focus Area 3: Promote SEL for Students.
So, you want to bring social and emotional learning (SEL) to your district. And you’re wondering: Where do I begin? Do I focus on students or adults? Choose SEL curriculum, or strengthen climate and culture? Do I even have the staff and resources to do this?
In this series, we’ll help you consider these and other questions by spotlighting the many ways that districts have started or continued their SEL journey through the stories of participants in CASEL’s SEL Fellows Academy. Their work is grounded in CASEL’s District Theory of Action for systemic SEL implementation. Resulting from our intensive work with our partner districts in the Collaborating Districts Initiative, the District Theory of Action offers a research-based framework for four focus areas for achieving high-quality, systemic SEL implementation.
Working within this guidance, each district finds its own path to SEL implementation—one that reflects its unique history, challenges, and priorities. This series of briefs showcases how different districts—ranging from small rural and suburban districts to large urban and regional districts—have chosen to approach their SEL work. The goal is to offer examples, inspiration, and lessons for districts across the country.