SEL4NJ to Host a Series of Webinars to Support Students

The Social Emotional Learning Alliance for New Jersey — also known as SEL4NJ — will host a series of webinars to celebrate International SEL Day on March 8.

SEL Day is a global, grassroots campaign for social-emotional learning to support children’s academic recovery, mental health and well-being. Since its inception in 2020, #SELday has reached over 40 million views. This year’s theme is “Today’s Students, Tomorrow’s Leaders.”

A list of webinars and how to sign up follow below.

From Invisible to Invincible: Making Every Voice Matter — Monday, March 4 at 11:30 a.m.

Alisha DeLorenzo of Living YES, LLC will present this program, sharing compelling research and frameworks for fostering a culture where all individuals feel seen, heard and valued. When we dismantle the barriers of invisibility, we cultivate environments where diverse voices can thrive, leading to innovative problem-solving and greater risk-taking for every member of the school community. Register here.

SEL and Special Education: SEL Across the Tiered System of Support — Monday,  March 4 at 12:45 p.m.

Kim Spagone of Rowan University will provide strategies for integrating SEL into all levels of service provision, including universal classroom instruction and targeted supports for at-risk students and families. She will describe how her school shifted from a “refer-classify-provide services” model to one that provides universal and targeted support across all settings, regardless of whether the student has an identified disability. SEL has been integrated into multiple universal practices, and the school has developed a Wellness Team to support students, staff and families. Register here.

Creating Schools of Character and Social Emotional Competence — Tuesday, March 5 at 11:30 a.m.

William Trusheim, Laurie Coletti, and Mary Reinhold of the New Jersey Alliance for Social-Emotional and Character Development will share ideas and best practices that can benefit a school through an intentional school improvement process to create schools of character and social-emotional competence. The presenters will discuss the intersection of Character Strengths and Social-Emotional Competencies and share information about “The 11 Principles Framework: Cultivating a Culture of Character,” which can help to guide school improvement and lead to a school becoming a State and National School of Character. Register here.

Schoolwide Behavioral Expectations: Clear, Consistent, and Impactful — Tuesday, March 5 at 12:45 p.m.

Erica Brentan, Liz Warner and Patricia Heindel of the School Culture and Climate Initiative observe that even the most well-intentioned schools can have too many behavioral goals for students. With character education programs, district goals, SEL competencies, classroom, and school rules all in place, these efforts can sometimes work against each other, as opposed to their intended effect of improving students’ behavior and social emotional skills. In this workshop, they will examine the behavioral expectations in your school, explore a method of ‘unjumbling’ them and share how a streamlined approach can have greater positive impact. Register here.

How SEL Builds a Future-Ready Workplace — Wednesday, March 6 at 1 p.m.

Christy Biedron of Junior Achievement of New Jersey will discuss the key skills employers need as technology advances, and why SEL is more important than ever to help students become future-ready. Register here.

Embedding SEL into Arts Education — Wednesday, March 6 at 2:10 p.m.

Scott Edgar, Yorel Lashley, Wendy Loscow and Kira Rizzuto of ArtsEdSEL/ArtsEdNJ will introduce the Center for Arts Education and Social Emotional Learning and highlight key tenets of their approach and how these are manifested in various settings. They will also share resources to help with intentionally embedding SEL into the arts. Register here.

Learn How to Obtain a Certificate in SEL Leadership Through the SEL Academy — Thursday, March 7 at 11:30 a.m.

Patricia Heindel and William Trusheim of Academy for SEL in Schools will present this program. The SEL Academy for Leadership, housed at Saint Elizabeth University in Morristown is an online certificate program designed to prepare school leaders to coordinate SEL implementation efforts at the building and/or district level. The program emphasizes school climate, culture, values, character strengths, leadership, student voice/engagement and SEL skills development. It is designed for people who are in formal or informal school leadership positions. Register here.

What Does Social Emotional Learning Look Like in Elementary Schools? — Thursday, March 7 at 12:15 p.m.

Grace Rivetti and Andrea Sadow, elementary school counselors, wear many hats. Their role in the social emotional learning of students takes place both inside and outside of the classroom. This session will include descriptions of the counseling programs in two school districts as well as a day in the life of two elementary school counselors. Register here.

School Climate and SEL Measurement Using the Free New Jersey SCI Survey and Platform — Thursday, March 7 at 12:55 p.m.

Alicia Raia-Hawrylak, Rutgers SCTP, and Pat Wright of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, will focus on the role of school leaders, and particularly school safety/school climate teams, in using data to improve school climate, assess SEL needs and strengths and inform SEL delivery and implementation. Learn how the innovative, no-cost NJ SCI Platform can support your school(s) in assessing their overall climate and culture, including conditions for student social and emotional learning and the quality of SEL implementation. Register here.

Learn how to  join SEL4NJ.