{"id":74158,"date":"2022-11-14T11:40:25","date_gmt":"2022-11-14T17:40:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/casel.dev\/?post_type=blogposts&#038;p=74158"},"modified":"2025-01-24T14:04:09","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T20:04:09","slug":"3-key-takeaways-from-the-2022-sel-exchange","status":"publish","type":"blogposts","link":"https:\/\/casel.org\/blog\/3-key-takeaways-from-the-2022-sel-exchange\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Key Takeaways from the 2022 SEL Exchange\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"key-points\">Key Points<\/h2><a class=top href=\"#top\">Back to top<\/a>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Trust is the foundation for family engagement.<\/strong> Authentic collaboration between families and schools requires trust, which can be built through proactive communication, valuing diverse cultural perspectives, and creating equitable opportunities for shared decision-making.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Collaboration transforms communities.<\/strong> Powerful partnerships between schools, families, and communities\u2014like creating Zen gardens or piloting adult SEL programs\u2014show that collective efforts can foster healing, growth, and environments where students and educators thrive.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Quality education is a collective right.<\/strong> Advocates emphasized that schools must prioritize SEL, engage families as equal partners from the start, and focus on shared values to ensure every child has access to a high-quality education that meets their holistic needs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Two districts on opposite sides of the country united to strengthen adult social and emotional learning (SEL). A group of students heard their community\u2019s needs and built a Zen garden for students and educators alike. CASEL leadership and the National Parents Union shared ideas about the importance of family engagement in schools\u2014along with data about what parents truly want for their children\u2019s education.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are just a few of the experiences and conversations shared on October 13, 2022, as CASEL hosted our annual <a href=\"https:\/\/selexchange.casel.org\/2022-sel-exchange-virtual-summit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SEL Exchange<\/a> Virtual Summit to explore the theme \u201cWeaving a New Tapestry: Schools, Families, and Communities Together.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over 1,100 participants from 46 states and 27 countries joined us in-person and virtually to exchange ideas about how schools, families, and communities can come together to support the social, emotional, and academic development of every child.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some of the key takeaways from the Summit:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-1.png?auto=compress&amp;fit=scale&amp;fm=png&amp;h=1069&amp;w=1900\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-74159\" srcset=\"https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sites\/1\/.\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-1.png 640w, https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sites\/1\/.\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-1.png 1900w, https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sites\/1\/.\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-1.png 300w, https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sites\/1\/.\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-1.png 768w, https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sites\/1\/.\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-1.png 1536w, https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sites\/1\/.\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-1.png 2048w, https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sites\/1\/.\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-1.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-trust-is-an-essential-foundation-for-authentic-family-engagement\"><strong>1. Trust is an essential foundation for authentic family engagement.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2><a class=top href=\"#top\">Back to top<\/a>\n\n\n\n<p>Education is shared work. But while families and educators often want to work together, a lack of trust can prevent deep, authentic collaboration between schools and home.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many school systems often have barriers to trust, including:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Parents who don\u2019t reflect the mainstream school culture are often treated as spectators.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Many structures assume that families need to change, not schools.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Parent experience about their children\u2019s cultural background is sometimes neglected.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Summit speaker <strong>Dr. Eyal Bergman<\/strong> shared three pillars to bridging this gap:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Placing trust and teamwork at the center of family engagement.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Focusing on shared values of student learning and well-being.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Building the infrastructure for adults to learn how to do this work better.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Strategies like proactive, positive communication, home visits, and using a timer at parent-teacher conferences to ensure equity of voice can help build the trust needed for authentic collaboration.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-2.png?auto=compress&amp;fit=scale&amp;fm=png&amp;h=1069&amp;w=1900\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-74160\" srcset=\"https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sites\/1\/.\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-2.png 640w, https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sites\/1\/.\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-2.png 1900w, https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sites\/1\/.\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-2.png 300w, https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sites\/1\/.\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-2.png 768w, https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sites\/1\/.\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-2.png 1536w, https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sites\/1\/.\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-2.png 2048w, https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sites\/1\/.\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-2.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-collaboration-is-power\"><strong>2. Collaboration is power.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2><a class=top href=\"#top\">Back to top<\/a>\n\n\n\n<p>Weaving a tapestry that brings schools and communities together requires both effort and artistry. At the Summit, speakers shared stories of the beauty and power of community collaboration.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Byron Sanders<\/strong> showed us that partnership between schools and communities can transform lives: &#8220;There is not one institution that has all of what a young person needs. It is going to take partnerships, collaboration. We are going to have to work together to build these ecosystems of hope.\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>High school senior <strong>Makayla Reeves<\/strong> shared her story of listening to students and collaborating with partners to help her community heal from the pandemic, creating a Zen garden project that provided a retreat for students and educators: \u201cI learned to use my eyes to hear \u2026 I understand compassion to be the ability to understand and share the feelings of others and transform that into action. We want to encourage others to plant seeds of compassion.\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ciara Lowery<\/strong> and <strong>Dorothy Styles<\/strong> inspired us with a cross-country collaboration to develop, share, and pilot a new approach for supporting adult SEL: \u201cTo change outcomes for youth, the adults serving them must first know themselves. Programs don\u2019t change children; relationships with caring adults do.\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Dr. Jane Quinn<\/strong> presented evidence of Community Schools as a proven model for integrating holistic supports that remove barriers to student learning: \u201cTo make Community Schools work, you have to keep the word \u2018yes\u2019 written in your heart.\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-3.png?auto=compress&amp;fit=scale&amp;fm=png&amp;h=1069&amp;w=1900\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-74161\" srcset=\"https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sites\/1\/.\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-3.png 640w, https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sites\/1\/.\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-3.png 1900w, https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sites\/1\/.\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-3.png 300w, https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sites\/1\/.\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-3.png 768w, https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sites\/1\/.\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-3.png 1536w, https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sites\/1\/.\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-3.png 2048w, https:\/\/casel.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sites\/1\/.\/SEL-Exchange-Quote-Card-3.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-high-quality-public-education-is-a-right\"><strong>3. High-quality public education is a right.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2><a class=top href=\"#top\">Back to top<\/a>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, every state in the U.S. has a legal mandate to provide a quality education to students. This right exists because parents, educators, and others fought together to make their voices heard.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dr. Aaliyah Samuel<\/strong>, <strong>Lakeisha Steele<\/strong>, and <strong>Keri Rodrigues<\/strong> of the National Parents Union addressed the role of educators, parents, and caregivers in shaping education policy to protect students\u2019 right to a quality education. In the current political climate, parents and educators are calling on decision-makers to <a href=\"https:\/\/leadingwithsel.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lead with SEL<\/a> and live up to the promise of quality education.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rodrigues shared that if schools want to engage families, they must advocate for the issues that matter to them. Relationships with schools should be transformational, not transactional. Parents must be brought in at the beginning of the process, rather than dictated to. If schools engage families as partners, an entity from outside the community won\u2019t be able to change that relationship and sense of collaboration.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The data overwhelmingly show that families and communities support SEL. When it comes to quality education, it\u2019s time to listen to parents\u2014not politics.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tell us: <\/strong><em>What are some of your key takeaways as you think about how schools, families, and communities can work together to support whole child development?<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Related Posts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/casel.org\/blog\/social-and-emotional-learning-starts-at-home-and-doesnt-end-there\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Social and Emotional Learning Starts at Home (And Doesn\u2019t End There)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/casel.org\/blog\/community-schools-an-idea-whose-time-has-come\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Community Schools: An Idea Whose Time Has Come<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/casel.org\/blog\/sel-action-planning-with-your-community\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SEL Action Planning with Your Community<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/casel.org\/blog\/sel-innovations-authentic-family-school-partnerships\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SEL Innovations: Authentic Family-School Partnerships<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"write-for-us\"><strong>Write for Us<\/strong><\/h2><a class=top href=\"#top\">Back to top<\/a>\n\n\n\n<p>Are you interested in writing for CASEL\u2019s blog,&nbsp;<em>Constellations<\/em>?&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1zSZFveKA8xsmlCADpfDP8t-y9emN0qswHQh1MnfmqBI\/edit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more<\/a>&nbsp;about what we\u2019re looking for and how to pitch your idea!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Points Back to top Two districts on opposite sides of the country united to strengthen adult social and emotional learning (SEL). A group of students heard their community\u2019s needs and built a Zen garden for students and educators alike. CASEL leadership and the National Parents Union shared ideas about the importance of family engagement [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26603,"featured_media":74165,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","theme":[203],"class_list":["post-74158","blogposts","type-blogposts","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","theme-water-cooler"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blogposts\/74158","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blogposts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blogposts"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26603"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74158"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"theme","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/casel.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/theme?post=74158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}