Ensuring Whole Child Well-Being Through Social, Emotional, & Academic Development
October 05, 2022 by EdTrust 
October 05, 2022 by EdTrust
Children need more than just learning a specific set of skills and information. They are growing human beings with developing emotions and social skills that need support too. The two go hand in hand: When students’ mental health needs are supported by school counselors, school psychiatrists, and strong relationships with their teachers, they do better in school. However, mental health supports are inequitable in schools for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds.
Social, emotional, and academic development (SEAD) addresses the whole child. Taking a holistic approach to supporting students within a positive school climate creates learning spaces where students feel emotionally and mentally safe to be their authentic selves. From ensuring students have access to healthy school meals to school discipline reform, Ed Trust advocates for creating better, safer learning environments for underserved students like Black and Latino students, students from low-income backgrounds, students with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ students so they can thrive emotionally and academically.
Creating Safe & Supportive School Climates
- A Holistic Approach to Social, Emotional, and Academic Development
- Social, Emotional, and Academic Development Through an Equity Lens
- “And They Cared”: How to Create Better, Safer Learning Environments for Girls of Color
- Supporting Students’ Social, Emotional, and Academic Development to Address Unfinished Learning
- Strong Relationships are the Key to Understanding Students’ Experiences
- Learning from the LGBTQ+ community
- When it Comes to Social Emotional Development, Relationships Matter, Especially During COVID-19
- Self-Advocacy or Defiance in Protests? Depends: Are you White or Black?
- Positive & Inviting School Climate (Alliance for Resource Equity)
Providing Social & Emotional Supports in Schools
- School Counselors Matter
- Preventing Suicide Amid a Pandemic
- Student Supports & Intervention (Alliance for Resource Equity)
Changing Policies to Support the Whole Child
- Is Your State Prioritizing Social, Emotional, and Academic Development?
- Is Your State Prioritizing Social, Emotional, and Academic Development
- Asset-Based SEAD Policies and Practices to Support Students Returning to In-Person Learning
Student Nutrition & Food Insecurity
- School Meals are a Key Part of Educational Equity
- Hungry Kids Continue to Struggle Through a Pandemic During Summer Months
- The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Declares Supports for Kids and Families “Essential”
- How to Solve Child and Student Hunger in America? Do What Works — And Don’t Stop
- Child Nutrition Reauthorization – Recommendations for Congress
- 5 Things for Advocates to Know About Equitable School Nutrition