California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond, is proud to announce he will serve as Honorary Chair of the Coalition for School Well-being, a public/private partnership to make Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Mental Health, and Racial and Social Justice the Cornerstone of California Education – now and always.

 

Formed in the wake of the pandemic and wide-spread recognition of racial and social injustices, the Coalition serves to amplify the message of the State Superintendent – Our top priority in California education is to support the mental health and well-being of our educators and students – our next generation of leaders.

California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond, is proud to announce he will serve as Honorary Chair of the Coalition for School Well-being, a public/private partnership to make Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Mental Health, and Racial and Social Justice the Cornerstone of California Education – now and always.

 

Formed in the wake of the pandemic and wide-spread recognition of racial and social injustices, the Coalition serves to amplify the message of the State Superintendent – Our top priority in California education is to support the mental health and well-being of our educators and students – our next generation of leaders.

“I was proud to have participated, alongside First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Board of Education Chair Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond in a statewide Wiki-Wisdom forum, with input from over 800 educators, showing the need for immediate and urgent action on Social Emotional Learning. At a time when we are dealing with a pandemic, systemic racism, rising teen suicide and depression, and California wildfires, it is imperative that we give our 6 million students and their teachers the support they need for their mental health and well-being.”

 

— TONY THURMOND, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

“I was proud to have participated, alongside First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Board of Education Chair Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond in a statewide Wiki-Wisdom forum, with input from over 800 educators, showing the need for immediate and urgent action on Social Emotional Learning. At a time when we are dealing with a pandemic, systemic racism, rising teen suicide and depression, and California wildfires, it is imperative that we give our 6 million students and their teachers the support they need for their mental health and well-being.”

TONY THURMOND

State Superintendent of Public Instruction

“The time has come for an Emotion Revolution in our nation’s education system. Research shows that emotions drive learning, decision making, relationships, and mental health. Evidence-based approaches to Social and emotional learning (SEL) lead to higher academic performance, greater teacher effectiveness, and enhanced school climate.”

— MARC BRACKETT, director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence

The mission of SEL4CA is to bring together all stakeholders in our collective efforts to empower California youth to thrive in school and life by transforming education through culturally responsive social and emotional learning (SEL).

The mission of SEL4CA is to bring together all stakeholders in our collective efforts to empower California youth to thrive in school and life by transforming education through culturally responsive social and emotional learning (SEL).

How Do You Measure Success?

Academics alone do not ensure long term student success, nor prepare kids for successful adult lives. Social Emotional Learning (SEL) are the skills we all need to lead healthy, happy, successful lives, personally and professionally. SEL is an integral part of human development. Culturally responsive SEL practices support academics and level the playing field for all. Extensive research tells us SEL is essential for young people to cultivate skills such as empathy and responsibility, foster healthy relationships and make good decisions on the road to becoming caring adults and engaged citizens. This year has been particularly difficult for young people to connect with peers and develop vital social skills, as well as taking a toll on their mental health and well-being. Now more than ever, SEL is vital to a well-rounded education and a healthy and just society.

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”

— ARISTOTLE

Harmony SEL and Inspire Teaching & Learning are committed to helping schools and out-of-school programs foster healthy relationships and develop inspiring educators.

We are affiliates of the National University System and offer SEL resources at no cost.

Inspire celebrates and supports educators with professional learning and adult SEL, and Harmony equips teachers with evidence-based lessons and activities they need to foster affirming social and emotional learning (SEL) experiences. Together, we support safe, inclusive learning communities and help children grow up to be compassionate, caring adults.

Harmony is a CASEL SELect program

“Teachers appreciate that Inspire provides high quality professional development available at no cost to further support our best SEL practices.” – Alex Kajitani, California Teacher of the Year

“The kind of impact I’ve seen Harmony have for the school is kids are coming up with more constructive ways to solve their interpersonal problems.” – Stella Paredes, Fourth Grade Teacher, Chula Vista Elementary School District

Harmony SEL and Inspire Teaching & Learning are committed to helping schools and out-of-school programs foster healthy relationships and develop inspiring educators.

We are affiliates of the National University System and offer SEL resources at no cost.

Inspire celebrates and supports educators with professional learning and adult SEL, and Harmony equips teachers with evidence-based lessons and activities they need to foster affirming social and emotional learning (SEL) experiences. Together, we support safe, inclusive learning communities and help children grow up to be compassionate, caring adults.

Harmony is a CASEL SELect program

“Teachers appreciate that Inspire provides high quality professional development available at no cost to further support our best SEL practices.” – Alex Kajitani, California Teacher of the Year

“The kind of impact I’ve seen Harmony have for the school is kids are coming up with more constructive ways to solve their interpersonal problems.” – Stella Paredes, Fourth Grade Teacher, Chula Vista Elementary School District

Headspace Plus is free for all K-12 staff members in the US. It’s our small way of giving back to those who give to kids every day. Your free subscription includes access to guided meditations on everything from stress and focus to the workplace, sleep music, inspiring videos, quick workouts, group meditations, and much more.

Headspace Plus is free for all K-12 staff members in the US. It’s our small way of giving back to those who give to kids every day. Your free subscription includes access to guided meditations on everything from stress and focus to the workplace, sleep music, inspiring videos, quick workouts, group meditations, and much more.

“Headspace has helped me talk to my students about the importance of focus and the value of staying calm, and is encouraging me to schedule in some time for myself each day.”

— Educator from California

“It’s almost as though meditation was designed for kids.


They just ‘get it’ – there is this elasticity and freedom in their minds which allows them to be present in the moment and free from any external thoughts or pressures.


By introducing meditation and mindfulness at an early age, not only can we build on this and help nurture their mind development, but we are also making meditation simple and accessible.”


— ANDY PUDDICOMBE, Co-Founder of Headspace

“It’s almost as though meditation was designed for kids.

They just ‘get it’ – there is this elasticity and freedom in their minds which allows them to be present in the moment and free from any external thoughts or pressures.

By introducing meditation and mindfulness at an early age, not only can we build on this and help nurture their mind development, but we are also making meditation simple and accessible.”

ANDY PUDDICOMBE

Co-Founder of Headspace

Inspiring people to live their healthiest lives while providing the tools to achieve physical & emotional well-being.

 

Kevin Love Fund, founded by the star athlete and advocate for the de-stigmatization of mental health and prioritization of wellness, will launch their free education resources in 2021.

Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers reminds himself every day that,

“Everyone is going through something that we can’t see.” 

“Mental Health isn’t just an athlete thing….this is an everyone thing.”

— KEVIN LOVE

Array Alliance is proud to be listed as a coalition partner of SEL4CA

Through her narrative change collective ARRAY, filmmaker Ava DuVernay has launched ARRAY 101, a new online education initiative delivering dynamic social impact learning guides for ARRAY’s films and television series. 

 

The teaching guides are available for free to parents, teachers, students and anyone who wants to learn, providing materials developed to foster understanding beyond the film or TV series. Learning companions were recently released for the Oscar-nominated feature film SELMA and the Emmy-award winning series WHEN THEY SEE US.

“Children and young people are the most precious resource for a better world. Their mental health is one of the most important issues of our time. We need to educate the heart and mind within an education system that places wellbeing at the very core of its values and practices. Peer and family relationships, the wider school and neighborhood environment, have the strongest links to children and young people’s wellbeing. MindUP provides the vehicle for whole-child, whole-school, whole-community transformation.”


— GOLDIE HAWN, Founder of MindUP

MindUP’s signature program is an acclaimed classroom-based curriculum, spanning ages 3 to 14. Developed by a team of experts focusing on four pillars: neuroscience, social-emotional learning (SEL), positive psychology and mindful awareness. The curriculum consists of a series of lessons that work together to build a scaffolding of awareness and skills necessary to increase prosocial behavior, executive functioning, and social and emotional competence. MindUP teaches children how to focus their attention, use brain breaks as a means to manage stress, act with empathy, and build resilience in the face of challenge.

MindUP’s signature program is an acclaimed classroom-based curriculum, spanning ages 3 to 14. Developed by a team of experts focusing on four pillars: neuroscience, social-emotional learning (SEL), positive psychology and mindful awareness. The curriculum consists of a series of lessons that work together to build a scaffolding of awareness and skills necessary to increase prosocial behavior, executive functioning, and social and emotional competence. MindUP teaches children how to focus their attention, use brain breaks as a means to manage stress, act with empathy, and build resilience in the face of challenge.

“Children and young people are the most precious resource for a better world. Their mental health is one of the most important issues of our time. We need to educate the heart and mind within an education system that places wellbeing at the very core of its values and practices. Peer and family relationships, the wider school and neighborhood environment, have the strongest links to children and young people’s wellbeing. MindUP provides the vehicle for whole-child, whole-school, whole-community transformation.”

GOLDIE HAWN

Founder of MindUP

Beyond Differences™ is the nation’s leading expert on social isolation among middle school youth and our mission — to inspire students to end social isolation and create a culture of belonging for everyone — is the driving force behind our student-led social justice movement. Beyond Differences provides free materials and curriculum to bring awareness to social isolation in middle schools and online, and teach students to be change agents in their schools and communities to make them more welcoming for everyone regardless of their differences.

Beyond Differences is the nation’s leading expert on social isolation among middle school youth and our mission — to inspire students to end social isolation and create a culture of belonging for everyone — is the driving force behind our student-led social justice movement. Beyond Differences provides free materials and curriculum to bring awareness to social isolation in middle schools and online, and teach students to be change agents in their schools and communities to make them more welcoming for everyone regardless of their differences.

“Founded in 2010 by a group of young students in memory of their classmate and my beloved daughter, Lili Rachel Smith (1994-2009), Beyond Differences believes in empowering young leaders to recognize that differences among their peers are to be celebrated and that everyone deserves to feel a sense of belonging and connection every day at school and in their communities. Our mission is now more urgent than ever as our global community realizes that social isolation is a public health crisis. My belief in Beyond Differences, after nearly eleven years of working with over 6000 schools across the country and helping create a new generation of student leaders, gives me confidence that meaningful change will finally be realized.”


— LAURA TALMUS, Executive Director and Co-Founder

“Founded in 2010 by a group of young students in memory of their classmate and my beloved daughter, Lili Rachel Smith (1994-2009), Beyond Differences believes in empowering young leaders to recognize that differences among their peers are to be celebrated and that everyone deserves to feel a sense of belonging and connection every day at school and in their communities. Our mission is now more urgent than ever as our global community realizes that social isolation is a public health crisis. My belief in Beyond Differences, after nearly eleven years of working with over 6000 schools across the country and helping create a new generation of student leaders, gives me confidence that meaningful change will finally be realized.”


— LAURA TALMUS, Executive Director and Co-Founder

The Organization for Social Media Safety is the first consumer protection organization exclusively focused on social media.

We protect against all social media-related dangers including

Number Story helps us learn and share that what happened to us doesn’t define us.

While the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences and toxic stress can be serious and lasting, they’re treatable and preventable. There are resources to help us heal.

We can shape
the future
for ourselves
and our kids.