Social and Emotional Learning
Curriculum Overview
We have designed a SEL curriculum that includes a foundational module for grades 1-3 and 5 years of lesson plans for grades 4-8. We use the expressive arts process which offers art, movement, writing, acting, and sharing modalities for exploring the material. The curriculum integrates various well researched models and practices. Some of the models we have integrated include narrative therapy, sensorimotor therapy, expressive arts practices, healing traditions from around the world, relationship enhancement, community resilience model, interpersonal neurobiology, non-violent communication, positive psychology, and self-compassion practices. We have distilled these into a practice based, skill-building curriculum that includes lesson plans for 30 sessions of 45 minutes each through the academic year.
Foundational Module (available now)
Target Group: Grades 1-3
The first part of foundational module contains lessons that help children explore their resources and hopes to help them develop a sense of self. It also introduces them to the concept of “MWE” which helps them make choices that are healthy for them, others, and the planet. The second part of this module introduces them to notice the quality of daily experiences so that they can make “mwe” choices.
Year 1 - Tree of Life Module (available now)
Target Group: Grades 4 & up
The Tree of Life module is based on a narrative therapy approach developed by David Denborough and Ncazelo Ncube. The lessons are designed to facilitate children in reflecting on stories and memories about their childhood, their strengths and values, their living and non-living support systems, and their hopes and wishes. We also encourage each child to create a tree of life at home with their family.
Year 2 - Regulation & Resilience (in development)
Target Group: Grades 5 & up
This module utilizes the community resilience model (CRM) developed by Elaine Karas-Miller. We have also integrated practices from positive psychology, self-compassion, and sensorimotor therapy. Children attend to the quality of their experiences by noticing their sensations, feelings, and thoughts, and develop the skills to regulate themselves in order to facilitate “mwe” responses. In this module the children explore the brain and its role in regulation using the hand-brain model developed by Dan Siegel.
Year 3 - Exploring Emotions and Identifying Needs (future)
Target Group: Grades 6 & up
We use the RULER model developed by Yale University to help the children reflect on patterns so they can identify their emotions to help them understand what they need. This module also integrates sensorimotor model and self compassion practices to develop empathy and compassion for themselves and others.
Year 4 - Conflict Resolution (future)
Target Group: Grades 7 & up
As the children get to higher grades we introduce models for conflict resolution. We integrate non-violent communication (NVC) and Restorative Justice models into a practice based curriculum.
Year 5 - Decision Making (future)
Target Group: Grade 8 & up
Using Relationship Enhancement (RE) practices and other researched models this module helps children to explore the options, apply appropriate criteria, including “mwe”, and make responsible decisions.