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March 17, 2021
NEWS RELEASE Contact: Raine Martin
For Immediate Release Director of Advancement
March 17, 2021 Urban Assembly
646-278-4383
rmartin@urbanassembly.org
Building Bonds, Reimagining Communities - SEL Day 2021
Join thousands of educators and community parters around the world in celebrating the 2nd annual SEL Day on March 26th.
NEW YORK (NY), March 2021 - On Friday, March 26th, thousands of educators, community organizers, and individuals around the world will celebrate the second annual International Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Day. Spearheaded by the Urban Assembly and SEL4US, this year’s theme, Building Bonds, Reimagining Communities, recognizes and reinforces the ways in which individuals, schools, and communities have used social-emotional skills to remain connected and engaged during the pandemic.
“In these difficult times there are people who used their social-emotional learning skills to build community,” says David Adams, Urban Assembly CEO. “This year, it's time to celebrate the people who help develop these skills and to also build the infrastructures of organizations to continue to uplift communities through SEL.”
The Urban Assembly and SEL4US, along with sponsors Harmony SEL, Inspire Teaching & Learning, Sanford College of Education at National University, Second Step, Education Development Center, Panorama Education, QuaverSEL, Quinnipiac University School of Education, Rethink Ed, and WINGS, will host a number of virtual events in honor of SEL Day. On Monday, March 22nd at 12noon EST, they are hosting #SEL4Equity, a live twitter chat discussing the intersection of social-emotional learning and equity and inclusion.
On SEL Day, Friday, March 26th at 12noon EST, the Urban Assembly and SEL4US will join the Learning Policy Institute, America Forward, Harmony SEL, and Committee for Children for SEL Policy to Foster Connection after Trauma, a Congressional briefing featuring Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (NY- District 9). Congresswoman Clarke will be joined by students, practitioners, and experts in child development to discuss the importance of social-emotional learning in schools and communities, and how social-emotional learning and development can be advanced through federal policy.
“Social-emotional learning plays such a vital role in building communities. SEL competencies develop throughout one’s lifespan, and they shape how we show up at work, in school, and in everyday life,” says Congresswoman Clarke. “I believe in the power of SEL to empower young people to develop positive relationships, demonstrate empathy, and make responsible decisions.”
At 1pm EST on March 26th, the Urban Assembly and SEL4US are teaming up with CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) for The Graduate Profile: Imagine the Possibilities on #SELDay, a discussion on how graduate profiles can cultivate meaningful school experiences, and how social-emotional learning can strengthen the vision for future-ready high school graduates.
At 4pm CET on March 26th, the ENSEC (European Network for Social and Emotional Competence) is partnering with PROMEHS (Erasmus + Project Promoting Mental Health in Schools) and the Centre for Resilience and Socio-Emotional Health at the University of Malta to host Children of the Pandemic: The mental health and resilience of children during COVID-19. The webinar features Professor Michael Ungar of Dalhousie University and Professor Helen Cowie of the University or Surrey in conversation about the mental health, well-being, and resilience of students during the pandemic.
On Tuesday, March 30th, the Urban Assembly will lead a training session for the Congressional Black Associates (CBA), a bipartisan collective of Black Congressional staff. During the Importance of Social Emotional Learning to Professional Development training session, the Urban Assembly’s SEL team will help the CBA understand social-emotional intelligence and its role in advancing public policy, and train them to utilize social-emotional intelligence to enhance their professional skills.
In addition to these events, more than than 2,200 schools, school districts, government agencies, community groups, and individuals nationwide will be raising awareness for social-emotional learning through local and regional SEL-centered activities, events, and initiatives.
“Students, families, educators and communities have faced so many challenges in the past year,” explains Nova Biro of the SEL4US Leadership Team. “International SEL Day provides an opportunity to celebrate the importance of relationships, community, and foundational social-emotional skills to support each other through these challenges.”
SEL Day is on Friday, March 26th. Schools, community groups, and individual can sign-up to participate in SEL Day at selday.org/sign-up. SEL Day toolkits are available at selday.org/toolkits free of charge and provide resources to help partners activate their communities, stakeholders, and public officials on the importance of SEL on SEL Day and beyond. Partners and members of the public can also register to join any of the Urban Assembly and SEL4US SEL Day events at selday.org/events.
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The Urban Assembly is a model provider of data-driven school support solutions that boost school and student performance. For more than 20 years, the Urban Assembly has served 23 small, career-themed public schools in New York City, and serves more than 9,000 students each year. Our graduation rate is 7% higher than the citywide average, and more of our graduates attend and persist through postsecondary education and career institutions. Due to the UA’s reputation for innovation and excellence, the organization now serves schools and districts in Wisconsin, California, Texas, Tennessee, Illinois, and other areas with high-quality social-emotional learning, academic, and postsecondary readiness programs, services, and supports.
SEL4US (sel4us.org) was founded in 2019 to empower local advocates to influence and support their communities to implement high-quality social and emotional learning. SEL4US is a national membership organization that works at the state and community levels to raise awareness of the benefits of SEL, promote and support SEL implementation, and advance policies and funding to sustain and spread the use of high-quality SEL.