Montgomery County schools are entering their second year of Social Emotional Learning for students in grades pre-K through eighth grade. This program started with a Youth Resiliency grant received from North Central Health Services. The grant from NCHS is intended to build youth resiliency and improve social-emotional competency, drug resistance and mental wellbeing. These grants provided to school corporations in the NCHS service area assist with the identification, implementation and long-term sustainability of proven social-emotional learning and substance use prevention programs.
NCHS recognized that our students are facing unprecedented levels of adverse childhood experiences, stress, anger and anxiety. Studies show that these issues make it difficult for our students to learn. By teaching our students ways to regulate what they are feeling, they can calm themselves down and their brains can take in and retain new ideas and concepts. The skills that are being taught also help our students resist substance misuse as they learn to regulate their emotions and develop coping skills.
The three county school corporations have chosen to teach social emotional skills through a program called Second Step. This SEL curriculum is centered around five basic concepts: Self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, relationship skills and social awareness. These competencies are the building blocks for the lessons taught in the classroom. The program is being implemented gradually over a three-year period and will eventually be taught to all grades, pre-k through eighth grade, in all three corporations. The program has been shown to decrease absenteeism, decrease behavioral issues and increase academic performance.
Already in the first year of implementation there have been positive changes noted by educators.
“Addressing the social and emotional learning needs of students during the pandemic has never been more important,” said North Superintendent Colleen Moran. “Feelings of uncertainty and worry are difficult for adults, but especially for students. Second Step curriculum has aided teachers in promoting the social-emotional development, safety, resilience and well-being of students in grades PK-8.”
A similar sentiment was echoed by elementary school principal Cris McCoy.
“The Second Steps program has been beneficial by supplementing and reinforcing the work we are already doing in the classroom to help children learn about their social and emotional health,” McCoy said. “Integrating the program has given us another platform to teach things such as empathy, problem-solving, skills for learning and how to better handle their emotions both inside and outside of the school setting. Our students’ ability to communicate has improved as well, thus strengthening our school community as a whole.”
As students learn from this program, it is also the hope that our entire community becomes involved in creating a county where we all help our youth become resilient and socially and emotionally healthy. With all of the uncertainty and change we have in the world; this program is vital to the success of our youth. Our educators are working diligently to be able to best serve and teach our students ways to be resilient amidst the increasing change and turmoil around them.
For further information about this program or social and emotional learning, contact Pat Moser, SEL coordinator at 765-362-0694, ext. 115.
