Beyond Contextualization: Challenges and opportunities for SEL Localization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

• In Event: Social Emotional Learning as the foundation for lifelong learning in uncertain times

Proposal

Education interventions in crisis contexts that include social-emotional learning (SEL) face a challenging conundrum: while the approaches to and skills within social-emotional learning are highly culturally specific, interventions that can be rapidly implemented at scale in these contexts are often rely on global skills frameworks and approaches. Conventionally, these interventions adapt by contextualizing their curriculum to the skills and approaches most appropriate to local culture (Jukes et al, 2021). However, localization aims to go beyond contextualization by resituating agency and power over these culturally specific interventions into the hands of local stakeholders.
This presentation will share lessons learned from the organisation’s work localizing social-emotional learning (PSS-SEL) programming in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. More than two decades of conflict, compounded by multiple natural disasters and public health emergencies, have negatively affected children and youth’s access to services and environments supportive of psychosocial wellbeing in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The project supports children and youth in healing and learning through a variety of education and psychosocial support programming. In 2021 and 2022, the organisation participated in the INEE-EASEL PSS-SEL Toolbox project as an anchor organization field testing tools for creating contextualized SEL curricula with local educators.
The field-testing process and results provided an opportunity for the organisation, in partnership with local stakeholders, to reflect on and improve the project’s approach to localization. The initial workshop revealed that, while contextualization of SEL skills frameworks and curricula to address local culture and needs is necessary, it is not sufficient for fostering stakeholder agency and ownership over SEL interventions. As a result, the organisation conducted additional activities to go beyond contextualization and work with stakeholders to develop localized SEL programming from the ground up. The discourse among stakeholders during these co-design efforts revealed additional challenges and opportunities for the project to better address the needs and promote positive psychosocial wellbeing of learners in our communities. This panel will share this process and our lessons learned that are guiding the organisation’s ongoing work scaling up localized co-design efforts and integrating PSS-SEL throughout the project.
This presentation is related to CIES sub-theme III: School Systems and Educators to Improve Learning and Teaching in Formal or Informal settings. In particular, this case study demonstrates a process for navigating “competing values, pressures, and agendas” and training teachers to implement SEL-integrated programming provides a tool for meeting students’ needs in “uncertain, insecure moments,” including a complex humanitarian emergency. It also illuminates a model for truly localized program design and management, in which project structures engage local stakeholders as the experts on their own children, empowering them as leaders and decision makers for the education activities in their communities.

Authors

• Stefanie Kendall, FHI 360

• Elyssa A Skeirik, FHI 360