Discovery Education and Industry Leaders Launch Social-Emotional Learning Coalition to Address Critical Educator and Student Needs With No-Cost Resources
SILVER SPRING, Md., April 28, 2021 /3BL Media/ — Discovery Education – the global leader in standards-aligned digital curriculum resources, engaging content, and professional learning for K-12 classrooms – today launched the new Social-Emotional Learning Coalition. The Social-Emotional Learning Coalition provides K-12 educators, students, families, and afterschool directors a no-cost library of digital social and emotional learning (SEL) resources supporting the integration of SEL into core instruction.
The Social-Emotional Learning Center is the first initiative of the Social-Emotional Learning Coalition, a partnership between Discovery Education and leaders across the public, private, and philanthropic sectors to drive access and innovation in embedding SEL in the student experience. The Allstate Foundation and National AfterSchool Association are anchor partners.
More than two decades of research shows that SEL can help young people develop social responsibility, practice leadership, and gain personal and social skills. COVID-19 and its impact on education underscores educators’ need for curated and vetted content supporting the whole child in any learning setting. To better meet the need for resources supporting students’ SEL development, the new Social-Emotional Learning Coalition improves access to high-quality, instructional resources.
Available at no-cost, the resources empower educators and families to tailor responses to students’ SEL needs while introducing school systems to SEL competencies aligned to frameworks such as Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). The content in the Social-Emotional Learning Center is sourced from trusted Discovery Educations partners such as CASEL, Kaiser Permanente, LG, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Dove Self-Esteem Project, and Wings for Kids. Designed for all K-12 students and educators, the Center features multi-modal, student-facing digital content aligned to the five SEL competencies from CASEL and includes Virtual Field Trips, videos, podcasts, mindfulness exercises, songs, reading passages, and more.
"Our future depends on a new generation of leaders with the skills, empathy, resilience, and appreciation for diversity to empower them to face challenges and find innovative solutions," said Francie Schnipke Richards, vice president of social responsibility and The Allstate Foundation. "We are proud to partner with Discovery Education to establish the Social-Emotional Learning Coalition, making SEL a national priority and ensuring equitable access to all students."
The Allstate Foundation empowers youth through programs and experiences to set them on a path to lifetime success – with a focus on SEL and service-learning for nearly a decade.
“Social-emotional development is a critical piece of the foundation needed to support navigating topics such as racism, social justice, equity, and inclusion,” said Lori McFarling, President of Corporate & Community Partnerships at Discovery Education. “In this unprecedented time of the student-educator experience, The Social-Emotional Learning Coalition brings together industry leaders to step-up for the K-12 community by helping ensure equity of access to critical SEL content. We are proud to share with the world a space for educators to cohesively and comprehensively integrate SEL to help all students thrive.”
To continue building equity of access in education, educators, students, and families can find this content at no-cost on the Social-Emotional Learning Center here. The SEL content is also available to schools using Discovery Education's K-12 learning platform, which includes additional ready-to-use instructional activities and professional learning resources to support SEL integration.
For more information about Discovery Education’s digital resources and professional learning services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Twitter and LinkedIn.
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About The Allstate Foundation
The Allstate Foundation accelerates positive change by empowering and educating the most vulnerable, inspiring today's visionaries and promoting community leadership. More information on The Allstate Foundation is available online or by AllstateFDN on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About The National AfterSchool Association
The National Afterschool Association is the national professional membership association for people who work with and on behalf of youth during out-of-school time. It uses its purpose, position, and partnerships to build equity and connections through essential strategic areas to build the skills of afterschool professionals and leaders and to create a strong, valued profession.
About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-aligned digital curriculum resources, engaging content, and professional learning for K-12 classrooms. Through its award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia resources, and the largest professional learning network of its kind, Discovery Education is transforming teaching and learning, creating immersive STEM experiences, and improving academic achievement around the globe. Discovery Education currently serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 140 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Discovery, Inc., Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and like-minded organizations to empower teachers with customized solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.
Contacts
Grace Maliska | Discovery Education | gmaliska@discoveryed.com
