What is SEL? 

According to The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), social emotional learning is the process through which individuals acquire and apply knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities. Social emotional learning helps individuals understand and manage emotions, set and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy, establish and maintain positive, supportive relationships, and make responsible, caring decisions.

Social and emotional competencies can be taught, modeled, and lead to positive student outcomes which are important for success in academia and life. 

What are the Benefits of Social Emotional Learning? 

According to CASEL, research suggests that the following are benefits of SEL: 

• Improvement in students’ social and emotional skills, attitudes, relationships, academic performance, and perceptions of classroom and school climate. 

• Decline in students’ anxiety, behavior problems, and substance use. 

• Long-term improvements in students’ skills, attitudes, prosocial behavior, and academic performance.  

• Wise financial investments according to cost-benefit research.