The most rewarding part of our work at the Mission Society is watching our students grow and thrive. Each year, they become more confident in the classroom, engage more fully with one another, and deepen their understanding of their own strengths and challenges. Instrumental to this growth and to our program model is social emotional learning (SEL), which allows us to focus on the well-being of our students alongside their academic achievement. Through developing vital communication, empathy, and relationship-building skills, we are readying young people for success throughout their lives.
In celebration of SEL Day and the incredible benefits of SEL in education, we wanted to share a few of the ways that the Mission Society has incorporated social emotional learning in our programs over the past year:
In 2020 alone, licensed social workers offered over 2,550 hours of counseling, helping student's navigate stress, pressure, and mental health challenges during an unprecedented year.
Our Distance Learning Library includes a Tuesday Tips series, featuring advice from professional educators on how to manage work loads, identify calming activities, and connect with others.
In our over 66,300 hours of arts programming, students had the opportunity to engage their creativity and increase their confidence, empathy, and communication skills.
Mission Society educators have created comprehensive resources that address the social and emotional health of our community, including self-care tips for students and teachers.
Through our programs, students are able to join social groups, sports teams, and service learning opportunities that help strengthen their emotional well-being. Our educators found numerous ways to continue this work virtually in 2020 and 2021 - with the addition of online karaoke and movie nights, holiday events, and more - providing ample opportunities for students to connect with one another.
We are dedicated to showing our students that they are not alone, and that their emotional health matters. Social emotional learning is an important tool for ensuring that these values always find their way into our schools, and we are looking forward to sharing more self-discovery and development opportunities with the young people in our programs.