SoEC Spotlight

Integrating Social Emotional Learning and Social Studies to Promote Critical Affective Civic Literacy

The pivotal role schools play in engendering a sense of belonging and fostering social relationships has come to the forefront since COVID-19, leading to increased calls for social emotional learning (SEL). SEL helps lay a foundation for engaged citizenship by teaching youth empathy, compassion and perspective-taking. However, some argue that SEL should do more to address social injustice by empowering students to tackle the root causes of trauma.

In this presentation, Professor Patrick Keegan will share a framework and set of skills for raising student awareness of the relationships between emotion and becoming an engaged citizen. I will also discuss recent attempts by lawmakers to halt SEL in schools, as part of broader attempts to prevent the teaching of the history of racial injustice in the U.S.

Instead of shielding students from possible feelings of discomfort when learning about hard history, I will discuss how teachers can encourage them to reflect on the role that emotion plays in how they make sense of the past.

Presented by Assistant Professor of Education, Patrick Keegan, Ph.D.

Zoom Meeting

To request a disability-related accommodation, please contact the Office of Institutional Equity at oie@pnw.edu or (219) 989-2163 five days prior to the event.