Expanding Socio-Emotional Learning Through Digital Platforms: A National Rollout of SEL Kernels in Brazil

• In Event: Leveraging Technology for Social and Emotional Learning at Scale

Proposal

Law 14.819/24, enacted on January 16, 2024, In Brazil, establishes the National Policy for Psychosocial Support in School Communities, emphasizing the importance of planned and intentional development of socio-emotional skills and competencies. This development is crucial for the learning, health, and behavior of children, youth, and adults.

Building on the work with SEL Kernels in early childhood centers across various regions of Brazil since 2017 (Colagrossi et al, 2023), a team of researchers and educators in collaboration with the EASEL Lab, who have previously adapted and implemented SEL Kernels in the Amazonas region, developed an online self-paced module-based professional development course for early childhood educators in Brazil. This course focuses on social and emotional learning and psychosocial support, aiming to fill important gaps in teachers’ knowledge of child development and psychosocial support and well-being. It also addresses recent national policies affecting teachers and school communities, celebrating their dedication to students. Using multimedia instruction, the course reaches early childhood educators across Brazil.

The SEL Kernels training will be offered through Fundação Itaú's digital learning environment and the Ministry of Education’s online platform, AVAMEC, as part of a national rollout. This initiative, supported by Itaú Social, will significantly expand the reach of SEL Kernels, enabling early childhood educators across Brazil to access and benefit from SEL resources and materials tailored for local use.

Additionally, the course will address how the Kernels strategies can be used across different stages and modalities of Basic Education. The SEL Kernels consist of low-cost, easy-to-implement, and flexible activities (Jones et al., 2017), adapted to the Brazilian context in close collaboration with EASEL Lab researchers. It is important to highlight that the SEL Kernels are aligned with the official curriculum of the Ministry of Education, as they correspond to the competencies defined by the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) and contribute to the school routine, providing socio-emotional learning and psychosocial support to the school community, especially children.

This course is built from an intersectoral perspective, targeting Early Childhood and Elementary Education Teachers, School Psychologists, Health and Social Assistance Professionals, Public Policy Makers, and Institutes and/or Foundations working in related areas. By leveraging digital platforms for
professional development and incorporating multimedia instruction, the course represents a forward-thinking approach to integrating technology into educational practices. It also emphasizes equity by ensuring that SEL resources and training are accessible to early childhood educators across diverse regions of Brazil. This commitment to equitable access highlights how digital tools can bridge gaps in educational opportunities and foster a more inclusive and connected educational community in the digital age.

Authors

• ana colagrossi, Espaço Àra Educação

• Euzeni Araujo Trajano, Ministério da Educação

• ALDEMIRA Araújo CAMARA, Secretariat of Public education

• Adriana Maria Barbosa Guimas, Secretaria Municipal de Educação de Manaus and Motriz

• Rita Esther Ferreira Luna, Secretaria de Educação de Manaus

• Sonya Rose Temko, EASEL Lab, Harvard Graduate School of Education

• Hannah Broderick, Harvard

• Chelsea Rubin, EASEL Lab, Harvard Graduate School of Education

• Lillian Massaro, Harvard University Graduate School of Education

• Stephanie Jones, Harvard Graduate School of Education