Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
Delegates at the 2009 Illinois PTA Convention adopted a Resolution on SEL. This resolution directs the Illinois PTA to:
•  Actively distribute information about SEL
•  Work in a collaborative effort in regard to SEL
•  Support the Illinois State Board of Education in their efforts regarding SEL

What is Social Emotional Learning?
SEL is the process through which children and adults acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and skills they need to recognize and manage their emotions, demonstrate caring and concern for others, establish positive relationships, make responsible decisions, and handle challenging situations constructively. Although SEL is not a program, many available programs provide instruction in and opportunities to practice, apply, and be recognized for using SEL skills. Competence in the use of SEL skills is promoted in the context of safe and supportive school, family, and community learning environments in which children feel valued and respected and connected to and engaged in learning. SEL is fundamental not only to children’s social and emotional development but to their health, ethical development, citizenship, motivation to achieve, and academic learning as well.

Goals:
#1   Develop self-awareness and self-managment skills to achieve       school and life success.
#2   Use social awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and        maintain positive relationships.
#3   Determine decision-making skills and responsible behaviors        in personal, school, and community context.

For more information, please access the Illinois State Board of Education Web site. http://www.isbe.net/ils/social_emotional/resources.htm
SEL FAQs: http://www.isbe.net/ils/social_emotional/pdf/sel_learning_faq.pdf  

New Target Audience for
Social Emotional Learning

Fiscal year 2012 brings a shift in the focus of the Children’s Mental Health Partnership’s (ICMHP) social and emotional learning (SEL) work. After four years of providing training and coaching to educators to implement SEL and Illinois’ SEL Standards through its statewide Professional Development Project, the ICMHP is excited to now focus its full attention on families and communities. The new “Raising Caring, Confident, Capable Kids” (RCCCK) Campaign" seeks to increase knowledge and understanding of just what SEL is and why it is so relevant to all our lives, especially to nurturing our children toward becoming thriving, productive and successful adults.

RCCCK’s mission is to inspire families and communities to embrace social and emotional learning as a foundational component of raising successful, productive, socially and emotionally healthy children. RCCCK will connect individuals and communities to opportunities, strategies, and resources that develop and enhance their capacities to teach social and emotional skills and model SEL-enriched lives.

Raising Caring, Confident and Capable Kids will be a multi-faceted campaign, featuring a new website and social media presence, a quarterly newsletter and opportunities for parent and community groups to participate in SEL workshops. The website, RaisingCaringConfidentCapableKids, www.rccck.net, will strive to become the go to place to learn about SEL outside the context of school. It will feature news, information, resources, available speakers and facilitators for SEL workshops and targeted conversations, as well as webinars and interactive activities to engage young and old. It will also have links to Facebook and Twitter. Look for the initial rollout of www.rccck.net in
mid-February 2012.

Beginning in early February, “The SEL Connection” will share the latest Illinois SEL news, a calendar of SEL-focused events, and “SEL in Action” on a quarterly basis. By including opt-in and opt-out subscriber requests, this new interactive SEL e-newsletter will build a growing database and enhance deliverability and reception of information. By soliciting subscriber ideas for success stories, profiles, events, news, research, tools and other resources for upcoming editions, “The SEL Community Connection” will promote an exchange of ideas and information and increase the effectiveness of the RCCCK campaign.

Caryn Curry, Statewide SEL Awareness Coordinator Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership