New Family Engagement Kits bring Social Emotional Learning to 20,000 Homes

Thanks to the SC Department of Education (SCDE), CFEC’s lead partner, almost 20,000 kits that teach Social Emotional Learning (SEL) are being developed and distributed through September. Recipients include families, CFEC partner schools, teacher partner classrooms, Community Family Resource Centers, and participants in the summer reading program of the SCDE’s Office of Early Learning and Literacy.

The goal is for Social Emotional Learning to be supported at home.

“Resources abound for educators to support student SEL, yet very few resources exist for caregivers to support SEL at home, widening equity gaps for families who face historic disparities,” said CFEC Regional Upstate Liaison Lorilei Swanson, who developed the kits with Julia Beaty, Upper Central Regional Liaison. “However, when student SEL is supported systemically – at home, in school, and in community spaces – this paves the way for more equitable practices throughout communities, especially when schools and families form authentic partnerships to support SEL for all students.”

The SCDE has funded 18,791 kits, some translated into Spanish. They include welcome guides, at- home activities, and materials to support at-home reading and conversations about SEL. Swanson and Beaty, both licensed clinical mental health professionals, have developed several SEL resources for families, published on SEL and family-school partnerships, presented at conferences about student SEL, trauma-informed care, and equitable family engagement practices.