Localizing SEL in the Democratic Republic of the Congo using the PSS-SEL Toolbox

• In Event: Finding educational solutions that work for crisis-affected children: Experiences and findings contextualizing SEL interventions in three countries

Proposal

Education interventions that foster social-emotional skills in children and youth in crisis contexts can improve mental health and wellbeing, their learning outcomes, and their resilience in the face of future challenges (Aber et al, 2021). The understanding of what social-emotional learning is and how to teach it, however, varies widely between and within contexts and cultures (Jukes et al, 2021). SEL interventions are most effective and inclusive when they reflect local understandings of social-emotional skills and utilize culturally relevant and meaningful teaching methods and activities, which can only be achieved when local stakeholders have the power to design and lead programming (Bailey et al, 2021). Developing localized SEL interventions requires first developing a common understanding of SEL contexts, needs, and objectives among those stakeholders.

This presentation will discuss the organization’s participation as an anchor organization field testing resources from the PSS-SEL Toolbox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The organization used the localizing tools in the PSS-SEL Toolbox to facilitate discourse and a co-creation process among local educators to establish a common understanding of what SEL means in their community. The outcomes of the field testing were used to support the organization’s work implementing nonformal learning programs for displaced and conflict-affect children and youth in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu. They also provided feedback to the PSS-SEL Toolbox creators to incorporate into the final version of the PSS-SEL Toolbox.

The presenter will share lessons learned on both the process of developing a shared understanding of SEL among diverse stakeholder groups and on designing accessible and inclusive tools for PSS-SEL localization in global EiE contexts. Key findings on localization included that conventional “global” SEL frameworks composed of hierarchical levels of domains and skills may not be a useful organizing concept for all stakeholders. Instead, shared narratives or vision statements of what SEL skills and wellbeing look like for children may be more relevant and understandable. Additionally, interventions should balance their goal of developing individuals’ SEL skills with an understanding of the contextual factors that affect wellbeing, recognizing that SEL is not a panacea to the very real threats to wellbeing faced by children in crisis contexts. In this case, discourse among local educators revealed that more attention was needed on not only SEL skills, but also on fostering learners’ physical and psychological safety inside and outside of the classroom.

The presentation will conclude with a discussion of the PSS-SEL Toolbox as a resource supporting the CIES 2023 Sub-Theme II of developing evidence-based and socially and ethically just SEL interventions through localization. The field testing results from this presenter and other anchor organizations around the world supported the final version of the Toolbox, launched in 2022, as a set of flexible tools for designing, adapting, and implementing localized SEL interventions. Inclusive and accessible to a broad spectrum of stakeholders, the PSS-SEL Toolbox provides one resource for building learning opportunities, preparing educators, and supporting education systems to improve education for a more equitable world.

Author

• Elyssa A Skeirik, FHI 360