Educating the Whole Student

When students, teachers, school leaders, and family members practice SEL, they’re able to invest and engage in their human development and education at an even deeper level.

What is CalHOPE SEL?

The CalHOPE Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Community of Practice is helping enable California's schools to be leaders in supporting proactive and early intervention as we collectively respond to the social, emotional, and mental health needs of students, families, and educators.

Through a unique partnership with California Department of Health Services, Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE), Orange County Department of Education (OCDE), University of California, Berkeley, and FEMA, California front-line educators are preparing to do the unprecedented task of bringing children back into learning after widespread trauma and isolation.

How Does It Work?

Supported by strong partnerships, and leveraging California’s existing support network, leaders from all 58 county offices of education (COE) are participating in a statewide SEL Community of Practice (CoP), which aims to build capacity for systemic SEL.

COEs are poised to work alongside local education agencies (LEAs) to share training and evidence-based practices that address opportunity gaps and disproportionality with schools. The SEL CoP strengthens the county offices of educations’ capacity to support local districts and schools statewide, preparing educators to deepen connections with students through relationship- and community-building, and to be front-line responders to protect the psychological well-being of all young people across the state.

Schools are uniquely positioned to reach each California child and their family, leveraging the trust developed between schools, youth, and families, and the daily connections between school staff and students. Schools can do more than just restart learning; schools can be “centers of wellness,” where all students feel a sense of belonging, connection, safety, inclusion, and support.

With this in mind, each COE will be working alongside their local districts to select a small subset of “focus schools” to provide coordinated and direct SEL support. The goal is to leverage these early learning opportunities to improve coordinated support efforts in order to scale up to systemic SEL across all regions in California.

Goals and Objectives

Goals

Building a shared understanding/foundation for COEs across California

Building a statewide network/infrastructure that allows COEs to share best practices and build collective capacity
Creating, vetting, and sharing high-quality resources and tools
Modeling structures and activities that COEs can turn-key for
their County SEL Community of Practice
Showcasing successful SEL efforts in COEs, districts, and schools

Objectives

A statewide, “scaled up” approach.

All 58 California county offices of education (COEs) are engaging in this effort
Each COE lead attends monthly Statewide SEL Community of Practice meetings to build capacity and create a common language for the importance of positioning schools as “centers of wellness”

Collaboration Partners

Awards

UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Award for Public Service

Each year, UC Berkeley Chancellor recognizes staff, student and partnerships that embody public service and commitment to improving local and global community. Check out the link here.

The International Research Society

CalHOPE SEL has won 2024 Public Service Award. Society for Prevention Research is dedicated to advancing preventative negative outcomes and foster well-being. For more information,click here.