March 8, 2024 - Like the rest of the country, schools in California continue to grapple with multiple challenges: chronic absenteeism, a growing youth mental health crisis, and a majority of educators reporting high levels of job-related stress. In response, communities in California and across the country are realizing the need for social and emotional learning (SEL) to build positive school cultures that benefit students, educators, and school staff. 

Five years ago, the Social Emotional Learning Alliance for the United States (SEL4US) and the Urban Assembly founded International SEL Day to celebrate and advocate for evidence-based SEL practices in supporting overall student success and well-being. Since then, SEL Day has grown to include over 8,500 participants representing 88 countries and all 50 U.S. states, not to mention the 40 million views on social media. Additionally, SEL Day has received bipartisan support through multiple state and local proclamations, including from the president himself.

Educators define social and emotional learning as: the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions (CASEL). Parents and educators alike overwhelmingly support SEL in schools, although studies show that parents tend to prefer the term life skills. 

"Schools are the heart of any community," says Dr. Amy Cranston, Executive Director of the Social Emotional Learning Alliance for California (SEL4CA). "We know, from decades of research, that evidenced-based SEL practices are vital to overall student success, in school and in life - we need to create learning environments where the mental health and well-being of all students, and educators, is a top priority.”

This year's SEL Day theme is "Today's Students, Tomorrow's Leaders." Now more than ever, students need social and emotional learning skills to help them navigate through the world and respond to all of life's challenges. 

Join us in celebrating SEL Day on March 8th by signing up at SELDay.org, and visit the website for free events, resources and toolkits that make it easy to participate and take action to support social and emotional learning in your schools, community, and state.