Trenton, March 26, 2020 – In conjunction with the first International Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Day, the New Jersey School Boards Association will host a special Facebook Live presentation at 1 p.m. Friday, March 27.
In this interactive session, Alisha De Lorenzo, founder and owner of Living YES, LLC, and a former school district SEL coordinator, will discuss how social-emotional learning practices can improve students’ health and well-being. The event is supported by the New Jersey Department of Education.
NJSBA Executive Director Dr. Lawrence S. Feinsod encouraged New Jersey school officials and educators to participate in the discussion.
“The current public health crisis underscores the importance of efforts to ensure students’ emotional health and well-being,” said Feinsod. “We need to be mindful that students, families and teachers are especially in need of support. The first International SEL Day could not come at a more important time.”
Last October, the NJSBA released a report, “Building a Foundation for Hope,” which found that students performed better academically when their social-emotional needs were addressed and offered recommendations on effectively incorporating SEL into the school program.
The International SEL Day is supported by Dr. Maurice J. Elias of Rutgers University, one of the nation’s leading authorities on social-emotional learning who provided input to the NJSBA study.
“We know that SEL – in its various forms (e.g., character development, whole child education, positive youth development, school culture and climate improvement) – changes lives,” Elias has written. He is director of the Rutgers Social-Emotional and Character Development Lab, and co-director of the Academy for Social-Emotional Learning in Schools.
To participate in the Friday afternoon NJSBA event, visit www.facebook.com/njsba. The broadcast will take place in the “live” section of the New Jersey School Boards Association’s Facebook page.
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The New Jersey School Boards Association is a federation of the state’s local boards of education and includes the majority of New Jersey’s charter schools as associate members. NJSBA provides training, advocacy and support to advance public education and promote the achievement of all students through effective governance.