SEL Conference Highlights

SEL Conference Highlights

Our team at Peekapak was proud to attend the 2018 SEL Conference in Harrisburg, PA hosted by the Center for the Promotion of Social & Emotional Learning (CPSEL) from May 9-10. This was the second annual SEL Conference, and this year’s theme was Building Skills for Lifelong Success!  We had a fabulous time getting to interact with other SEL leaders from across the United States and Canada. We were honored to be one of over 40 exhibitors who participated in this year’s festivities.

Keynote Speaker Dr. Robert Brooks

This year’s keynote speaker was Dr. Robert Brooks from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Brooks gave an incredibly insightful and hilarious presentation on Mindsets, and approaches for creating a positive school climate. He stressed the importance of SEL, especially in elementary schools with young students being taught.

Mindfulness and SEL

We had the great opportunity to attend a variety of sessions during the conference.  One great session we attended was Mindful Practices and Social-Emotional Learning – Together presented by Wynne Kinder and Kim Stoltzfus of Wellness Works in Schools. This presentation was about integrating SEL and mindfulness practices in the classroom. Mindfulness is all about being aware of what is going on in the present moment, physically and mentally. It was a very engaging session with innovative activities that showed the benefits of using SEL and mindfulness together in teaching young students.

Amazing Tools for SEL

There were many great SEL tools that we learned about at the conference. Kickboard is a tool that allows teachers to track and analyze the academic and behavioral conduct of their students. It allows teachers to look at trends among their students, and be able to compare the students’ emotional behavior with their performance in school. Kinful is another great tool that makes use of Virtual Reality (VR) software to teach lessons on SEL. They pair up classrooms from around the world to connect with each other, allowing students to learn about each others’ cultures while using VR technology.

Another amazing tool for SEL is Peekapak. Peekapak is an award-winning, social & emotional learning (SEL) program designed for the classroom and the home. Developed by education experts, Peekapak’s innovative curriculum combines teaching skills like gratitude, empathy and self-regulation with Common Core reading and writing standards.

To learn more about Peekapak, visit our website or check out our how to guide here.