Full course description
Course Curriculum
This brief course is designed for people who are either new to social-emotional learning (SEL) or would like to brush up on the latest happenings in the field. Participants will have the opportunity to experience SEL practices, consider how SEL can be integrated into many aspects of school, and learn more about the latest SEL research along with current opportunities and challenges in the field.
We also offer mini-courses on the Basics of Mindfulness and the Basics of Character Education. You can enroll in all three at once with our Basics Bundle.
Course components include (1.5 hours):
- SEL Basics: Definitions, Examples, and Practices
- The History of SEL
- SEL Research
- SEL Implementation and Programs
- Challenges and Opportunities in the Field of SEL
Course Logistics
Course Cost
Registration for the Basics of Social-Emotional Learning Mini-Course is $49.
The Greater Good Science Center is funded entirely by donations and grants—we do not receive any financial support from the University of California, Berkeley. However, we are able to offer many of our GGSC resources for free because we charge for some of our courses. We do our best to make our courses and events affordable for everyone, but realize that “affordable” can mean vastly different things depending on individual or geographic circumstances.
If the cost of this mini-course is prohibitive due to your personal circumstances, you can use the discount code MINIDISC at checkout to receive $20 off the cost of the course.
If you would like to enroll all of the educators (or a large number of educators) from your school, please reach out to us at ggsceducation@berkeley.edu to discuss additional payment options.
Who Should Take This Course?
- Pre-K through 12 classroom teachers, paraeducators, and out-of-school-time providers
- Pre-K-12 school mental health professionals and counselors
- Pre-K-12 school and district-level administrators
- Pre-K-12 teacher and administrator educators
- Other higher education lecturers or professors are welcome to register, but please be aware that the course is geared primarily towards Pre-K-12 educators
Course Features
- Pre-recorded videos featuring talks and practices.
- Discussion guide for participants who want to engage in group learning (e.g., a school cohort)
- An introduction to over 200 free research-informed SEL practices (edited)
- Downloadable journal pages to capture your reflections, a-ha moments, and great ideas
Course Outcomes
Participants will:
- Review the latest equity-focused definition of SEL from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
- Explore a breakdown of specific skills for each of CASEL’s five competencies (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, responsible decision-making)
- Learn practices for teaching each of CASEL’s five competencies for different ages, including adults
- Learn the history of SEL, from ancient to modern-day, along with the types of organizations currently promoting SEL
- Review the latest research on the benefits of SEL, along with some of the limitations (including cultural)
- Explore how SEL is implemented in schools and classrooms, including social and instructional teaching practices and sample SEL programs, along with key tasks for overall successful implementation
- Consider the latest opportunities and challenges in the field of SEL, such as transformative (equity-centered) SEL, the purpose and assessment of SEL, the developmental aspects of SEL, and adult SEL
Course Instructor
Vicki Zakrzewski, Ph.D., is the GGSC’s founding education director. Read more about Vicki.
Cancellation Policy
Course users can cancel their enrollment or ask for a refund up to 14 days after the payment or 14 days after the course starts (whichever comes later). In order to qualify for a refund, users must not have completed more than 25% of the course modules or content. To cancel course enrollment, please contact ggsceducation@berkeley.edu. Qualified refund requests may take up to 30 days to process.