SEL Knows No Summer Vacation.
During our over twenty years of applied improvisational educating and learning Planet Improv has come to understand and appreciate the impact that applied improv in an educational environment has on learning that can be directly linked to the current thinking on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). As educators and facilitators, we know that when students feel connected and emotionally involved in their learning experiences, they reach higher levels of learning and understanding. Learning becomes an active and engaging experience, rather than a passive one.
For students, families, and educators, the summer break can provide a chance for rejuvenation and refocus. Throughout this past school year, we celebrated new learning and new relationships, and we also experienced profound challenges. The devastating shooting in Uvalde, Texas weighs heavily on our hearts and minds.
As young people transition from school environments to summer activities, our communities are having conversations about how to ensure the safety and wellbeing of every child. While there is no single solution, we know that social and emotional learning (SEL) plays a critical role. Evidence-based practices that build supportive relationships and promote social and emotional skills can help reduce bullying and isolation, promote belonging, boost engagement, and curb future violence.
As you take time to refocus this summer, consider:
How can we use Social Emotional Learning (SEL) to create environments where every person is safe, valued, and supported?
See below for more about how SEL and supportive environments connect to safety, belonging, and learning.
Rethinking Safety: Environments Centered on Relationships
More than a decade before the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, a shooting in Cleveland schools spurred a district-wide focus on safety. As our nation once again strives to find solutions amid unimaginable grief, we can learn from the long-term approach taken in Cleveland that focuses on infusing SEL across all learning environments. School safety and SEL may not seem like an obvious match, but the evidence confirms “hardening our schools” is not the answer. While SEL is not a panacea, preventative measures focused on social and emotional competencies and supportive learning climates are essential to safety. The results have offered hope, as Cleveland Superintendent Eric Gordon shared: “We knew that this was a complicated problem, and it was going to take a long-term solution. But it’s not long-term—it’s forever. It is reshaping your education community’s culture around social and emotional learning.”
Promoting Belonging: Environments Where Every Individual is Valued
This month’s celebrations of LGBTQ+ Pride remind us that every individual deserves to feel welcomed and valued for who they are. In schools, we know that students who feel a sense of belonging engage more deeply in learning, have fewer behavior problems, and are better able to respond to challenges. Unfortunately, data shows that students who identify as LGBTQ+ are at higher risk of being bullied or threatened at school. SEL can help every student see their value and strengths, as well as build empathy and celebrate differences. When our environments support inclusion and belonging, we lay the groundwork for young people to thrive.
Supporting Students: Environments that Cultivate Learning
School may be out, but learning continues all summer long. We know that SEL has the power to boost academics in the classroom, so how can we apply these lessons to create the best possible conditions for summer learning? No matter where students are learning, we can cultivate environments that are supportive, culturally responsive, and focused on building community. Research has found that these types of learning environments lead to deeper engagement, improved social and emotional skills, and better grades. When we work together to create supportive environments, young people have greater opportunities to learn and practice social, emotional, and academic skills all year long.
As Planet Improv continues to collaborate with educational and community organizations and students throughout summer, 2022 and continue to plan, finalize and implement our 2022-23 school year, partnerships, events, and programs, we reaffirm our dedication and passion for applied improvisation and the (future building and live-saving) social and emotional learning benefits it provides to our students by empowering resilience through creativity.