Why SEL is the Solution to Ending School Shootings?
Because Kids Who Feel Connected to Each Other Won’t Want to Harm Each Other.
The cause of what we’re experiencing in our schools and society is anger, disconnection and lack of resilience. The effect is violence, mental health issues and substance abuse. The solution is teaching our kids how to manage their emotions and how to have healthy relationships and deep, meaningful connections and skills and tools for resilience. CONNECTION EQUALS LOVE.
We are fundamentally failing our youth by not providing them with the tools and skills necessary for a meaningful and productive life. Social and Emotional Learning teaches kids how to have healthy relationships, deep and meaningful connection, how to be resilient, and kindness caring and concern for themselves and others. These skills and tools are not innate! There is no SEL gene. We must learn these skills and tools and if we don’t learn them, we don’t necessarily have them.
When kids have SEL, they get better grades, test scores and graduation rates!!!
Decades of scientific research show that Social and Emotional Learning proactively reduces and prevents violence, mental health issues (of all kinds), anxiety, depression, substance abuse, incarceration, even divorce rates (while improving student’s academic performance)!
This is COMMON SENSE!! Children that feel connected to one another, have healthy relationships, who are resilient and feel compassion will not want to harm one another.
When we react to the symptoms, we continue to be one step behind.
Social and Emotional Learning is the ONLY way to get ahead of what we’re experiencing in our society. Everything we’re currently addressing: bullying, substance abuse and mental illness are getting exponentially worse.
THERE IS A SOLUTION. It’s called Social and Emotional Learning. It would have saved Jesse’s life and can prevent future suffering. I have dedicated my life to making sure that every child has access to what we know is life-transforming and life-saving.
Be part of the solution. CHOOSE LOVE!
Choosing Love everyday,
Scarlett Lewis
Mother of Jesse Lewis, Sandy Hook victim
