More than ever, our understanding of living a fulfilling and rewarding life points us to the importance of how we perceive ourselves and those around us. Are we empathetic? How do we deal with our emotions and how do they affect our relationships and our understanding of the emotions of others. It’s all part of our social emotional learning (SEL), so much of which is tied to how we learn to deal with our emotions in our formative years.
While the examination of SEL go back to Plato and even mankind’s earliest days, it’s an area of psychological well-being that is increasingly the focus of early learning and child development techniques. The Children’s Trust recognizes the critical role SEL plays in the development of our youth and wants Trust-funded providers and the public at large to recognize as much.
That’s why The Trust is sponsoring the first-ever Social Emotional Learning Awareness Day event from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, November 2. The FREE all day long event was designed for all staff that works in the after-school programs space to identify children who might be experiencing mental health challenges and how best to respond. SEL experts will give presentations and workshops will address a multitude of issues surrounding SEL and individuals and programs that deal with children who are facing challenges with regard to their emotions and mental well-being.
The event includes a morning session with speakers followed by breakout sessions in the afternoon focusing on adverse childhood experiences (ACES), responding to mental health crisis and the National Alliance on Mental Illness' Ending the Silence program.
As well as an entire day of learning and sharing, SEL Awareness Day also includes breakfast and lunch, and a Smart TV and Target Gift Card give away!
Although the event is free, attendees must register – at no charge – at TinyURL.com/SEL-Awareness-2019.
Speakers scheduled to attend the Social Emotional Learning Awareness Day event include:
- Demian Laudisio, Coordinator/trainer for the SAMHSA Mental Health Awareness Training at Jewish Community Services of South Florida
- Dr. Nicole Fava, Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at FIU
- Sarah Troya, Program Coordinator for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy at the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work at FIU
The event will be held at the United Way, 3250 SW 3 Ave., Miami, FL 33129.