Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among adolescents that have the potential to cause serious, lasting problems. There are three main types of bullying that are common among school-aged children such as verbal, social, and physical bullying. This behavior can happen at school, after school, off school grounds, and on social media. An important goal to achieve in respect of bullying should be to always have a safe space for bullied children to speak about their issues. Lines of communication should always remain open for school-aged children. When discussing bullying with students, there should be an importance placed on the complete understanding of bullying and its long-lasting effects. 
This discussion about bullying prevention named How To Talk About Bullying So Teens Will Listen demonstrates a great way to implement the importance of being an advocate when witnessing the act of bullying. 

Additional Resources:
What Teens Can Do
How to Talk About Bullying
What is Bullying 
Tips for Discussing Bullying with Teens

ACE's Heritage Panel addresses bullying and discrimination in schools through interactive discussions with students on how to create change and be an ally in their school. ACE's first Heritage Panel of the year was with John Carroll Catholic High School. Click here to read their school newspaper's article about the program.

In America, mental health is vital that all aspects of mental health systems be transparent of the diverse communities that they serve. Mental health businesses strive to become and remain cultural competent to our communities. A cultural system includes skillsets, attitudes, rules and policies to ensure that it is helpful in addressing the needs of people and their families with diverse values, beliefs, and sexual orientations. It's also important to include backgrounds that vary by race, ethnicity, religion, and language.

The different worldly and cultural challenges to service in urban America displays the effectiveness of current models of this practice. Urban behavioral health needs remains the same due to lack of available staff, competent providers, social society, fear of lack of privacy, lack of financing and reimbursement issues due to lack of funding and insurance, lack of mental substance with physical health, no efforts of prevention, transportation difficulties, and low numbers in providers. 

Below are a few resources to learn more about this matter. 

• Position Statement: Cultural and Linguistic Competency
• Position Statement: Access to Healthcare
• Mental Health America Multi-State Initiative pdf

SEL is defined as “how children and adults learn to understand and manage emotions, set goals, show empathy for others, establish positive relationships, and make responsible decisions."

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework identifies five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

As more attention is paid to "educating the whole child," SEL practices have been embedded in a growing number of classrooms across the country. Educators are aware that these skills play a critical role in determining how well-equipped children will be to meet the demands of the classroom.

The research is clear that SEL is key to successful student performance, especially in preschool and elementary school.

For example: Lindsey Jensen, however, is frustrated by what she sees as a main focus on academics. Over the past month, Jensen, a high school teacher in Chicago has participated in countless zoom meetings with colleagues and school leaders. The topic of emotional and trauma support for students has barely registered. SEL needs to be a more prominent focus in our school systems. These skills will prepare our children for the world and everyday life. 

There are simple ways to integrate Social and Emotional Learning into your classroom and school. It's important to note that each student has different needs and considerations when it comes to SEL and academics, so they might not need a 'one size fits all' curriculum. Integrating SEL into academics is a guaranteed way to do both things at once, saving you time and money. Below are tactics from the Aspen Institute's National Commission on Social Emotional, and Academic Development. [From a Nation at Risk to a Nation at Hope] & Berkeley.

1. Build Adult Expertise: The more SEL skills your teachers and staff have, the better the students will learn from them.

• Mindful Breathing.
• Active Listening.
• Feeling Supported.
• Best Possible Self.
• Incorporate the 3 SEL Signature Practices into your staff meetings.

2. Transform learning settings so they are safe and supportive for all young people.

• ​Learn about your own implicit biases and assumptions about the kids in your schools and classrooms.
• End punitive and disciplinary strategies and try using restorative practices.
• Making that teacher-student relationship into a strong and authentic bond.

3. Embed these skills in academics and schoolwide practices. 

• Teach empathy with literature
• Using cooperative learning in math
• SEL in science class
• SEL in social studies

School is finally in session from a long year of virtual learning. Students may have gotten comfortable with not interacting with other students and their peers, so in case of conflict in your classroom, we'd like to equip our teachers with social and emotional learning resources. No matter what the dispute is over, educators should know that conflict is not abnormal inside or outside the classroom. 

Helping students resolve conflicts with their peers is an important asset to the classroom atmosphere. Teachers shouldn't solve the problem for the students, but should rather resolve allow students to resolve their own problems to prevent lateral damage to their conflict-resolution and problem-solving skills. 

Developing these skills in children as early as possible is vital to their interpersonal success. 
As quoted from, Carolyn Coffey, a preschool teacher at Educare New Orleans, 
​“We’re teaching them the right way to respond to conflicts, to use self-control and calm themselves,” she says. “If we wait until they get to fourth grade or even middle school, they’ve already learned in practice what they’re going to do in order to resolve something… and it might not be the best way.”

To learn more about how conflict should be handled in the classroom, visit a few of our resources below.

Teach Kids How to Manage Conflict
Easing Kids into the Classroom

Schools that put SEL as part of their day to day curriculum are not only helping the children to thrive academically, but they are developing future employees to soar with soft skills. When students graduate and enter into the workforce, they can expect greater benefits, more opportunity, and higher wages. 
While SEL initiatives are helping to build a brighter future within the workplace, they are first providing a massive return on their school investments. Studies show that for every $1 spent on high value SEL initiatives, there is an $11 return on investment. 
Here's what SEL has been proven to do:

• Higher academic success
• Less behavioral problems
• Less emotional problems
• Less bullies
• Closer teacher-student relationships

Resources
SEL in the classroom
Benefits of SEL

RESOURCES
The Impact of Social Media Use on Social Skills
​The Influences of Social Media on SEL
Impact of Social Media on the Youth

Social-emotional learning isn’t just a feel-good activity. It’s not psychotherapy or an attempt to parent kids. Nor is it a substitute for core academic subjects such as math, science, or literacy.

RESOURCES
What Is SEL?​
Social Emotional Learning 
Helping Everyone Thrive with Social Emotional Learning

Juneteenth originates from Galveston, Texas when in 1865 African Americans who had been enslaved in Texas were finally emancipated. President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation in 1862 outlawed slavery in the Confederate States, but it took 3 more years for Galveston, Texas to recognize it officially on June 19th, 1865. 
Still, it ought to be recognized that the Emancipation Proclamation only emancipated African Americans in the Confederate States, not the Union States. Slavery was still legal and practiced in two Union border states, Delaware and Kentucky, until December 6, 1865, when ratification of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolished chattel slavery nationwide. Additionally, Native American territories that had sided with the Confederacy were the last to release those enslaved, in 1866.

Below you'll find resources that explain the entire history behind Juneteenth and ways to celebrate and be an ally:
​
​The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth
Teaching Juneteenth
How to Say Happy Juneteenth
Kids' Books to Celebrate Juneteenth
A History, Celebrations, and Resources