Parents and caregivers play an essential and vital role in nurturing a Whole-Community Approach to Social and Emotional Learning.
In partnering with parent communities in deep and sustained ways, schools and school districts can support parent wellbeing and connection, reinforce the SEL skills being taught at school, and build a shared understanding of the social and emotional development of children and young people.
IFSEL supports parents and caregivers in the following ways:
To support the work schools are already doing to activate SEL across their communities, IFSEL has developed a Series of online Workshops for parents. The Series offers parents the chance to come together to uncover both a shared understanding and a range of practical tools and insights to bring SEL alive at home.
The Series comprises one 35-minute recorded, asynchronous introductory Workshop and three 90-minute, synchronous themed Workshops. This allows parents and caregivers to watch the recorded introduction and then ‘drop-in’ to any of the themed Workshops. Each themed Workshop is therefore effectively a stand-alone experience, but collectively the Series offers a deep and renewing experience.
This short, recorded session is a recommended prerequisite for any of the themed Workshops. The purpose of this Workshop is to introduce IFSEL and our framework, to give some context around SEL language and research, and to give an overview of our work with your school.
These sessions can be offered as one group for K-12th Grade Parents, or parents can be split into groups by division. Price varies accordingly.
This session offers parents an opportunity to reflect on the full range of emotions that parents and children might experience, particularly during this pandemic. We will offer a framework and practical strategies for managing and regulating our own emotions as well as coaching our children to better manage theirs.
This session offers parents practical tools to build and maintain positive approaches to communication within the family, and explores ways to repair and heal relationships when conflict arises or communication falters. We will focus on active and reflective listening, styles of communication, and practices for conflict transformation.
This session utilizes The Open Session format to bring connection and support to parents. Parents will anonymously share dilemmas, decisions, or concerns they are facing, and IFSEL team members facilitate peer-to-peer sharing of support, clarification and wisdom. Concurrent sessions can be offered for Elementary Grade Parents and Middle/High School parents.
IFSEL Institutes and Workshops provide opportunities for K-12 educators, administrators and counselors to experience a range of SEL activities, and also to understand the research and rationale that underpin them.
IFSEL Institutes and Workshops provide opportunities for K-12 educators, administrators and counselors to experience a range of SEL activities, and also to understand the research and rationale that underpin them.