When we meet with customers and educators, a goal that commonly surfaces is helping children build social-emotional skills that will set them up for success in school and in life. Emotional intelligence is not only a key ingredient in our ability to work with others, overcome obstacles, and set and achieve goals. It’s also crucial for reducing bullying and risk behaviours.

Determining what your students need and what will really resonate with them can be a challenge. Trends change quickly in schools, especially among children and adolescents (we learned what on fleek meant just in time for it to not be a thing anymore). So, why not ask them what they need? An exchange is a perfect way to explore the topic of mental health and get meaningful feedback, with both powerful and relevant results. For example:

• What are some ways we can support safety and wellness for you and other students in your school?

Also, broadening the scope of your engagement to include the larger community can bring new voices and perspectives to consider. If you’re interested in engaging parents or staff on the topic, the following questions are great starters:

• What are some important things we could do to encourage and model positive social-emotional learning for students and staff?
• What are some important things we can do to help prepare your child for high school both mentally and emotionally?
• What are the most important things we should focus on to improve the physical and social/emotional wellness of students and staff?

Drop us a line if you’re interested in exploring how an engagement will benefit you, your students, and your shared goals. We’d love to hear from you. 💜