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Does Healthy Training Matter? 4 Teachers Give Their Opinion
Does Healthy Training Matter? 4 Teachers Give Their Opinion

The demand for personal, social, and academic learning in the classroom is growing—and so is the science behind it. Research has shown a positive connection between healthy learning programs and student success in academics, the school community, and life.

Training teachers to incorporate personal, social, and academic learning into everyday teaching is crucial to maximizing its benefits in the classroom.

In this article, we will answer the questions:
- What is Healthy Learning?
- What is Relationship-Skills Training?
- Does Personal, Social, and Academic Training matter?
- How can teachers get Relationship-Skills Training?
We will also look deeper at the development of personal, social, and academic skills, how they can help students feel safe and accepted, and stories of success from healthy learning programs.

What is Healthy Learning?

Healthy learning is a teaching and learning process to develop and acquire the skills, knowledge, and beliefs all individuals need to be successful in school, work, and life.

Academic studies have defined this personal, social, and academic learning as “an integral part of education and human development. Healthy learning is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.”

What is Relationship-Skills Training?

Relationship-skills training for teachers is designed to help students learn how to manage their emotions, develop positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

The training aims to equip kids with the personal, social, and academic skills they need to thrive in their personal and professional lives. This training can happen in schools, workplaces, and community organizations. It typically involves a combination of classroom instruction, relationship-skills based lesson plans , group activities, and individual reflection. Some lessons even include role play!

Does Personal, Social, and Academic Training matter? We asked teachers’ opinions.

According to a report by John Hopkins University and Harmony SEL, Educators Across the Country Find Value in Harmony, students who participated in Harmony experienced a variety of positive results from the relationship skill-building intervention, including:
- Improvements in student academic achievement (i.e., increased writing and math performance)
- Improvements in students’ relationships and feelings of inclusion
- Improvements in development of friendships with peers from diverse groups
- Improvements in connection to and engagement in school
- Decreases in bullying and aggression
Furthermore, we surveyed users of Harmony to see how they felt about the platform, the relationship-skills training, and how it fits into their classrooms, and here’s what they had to say:

“I started Harmony last school year, 2021-2022. I am a Special Education teacher and use it in a small group setting. I have had teachers and parents email me stating how much of a positive impact this program and relationship-skills training has had on their students.” – Harmony Online Portal User

“Healthy learning is so important in creating a supportive and welcoming learning environment. Harmony has been so helpful in creating the awareness and dialog needed to be successful in creating a solid class culture.” – Harmony Online Portal User

“I often assign modules in both Inspire and Harmony to my undergraduates who are future teachers. ALL are well received, and my students strongly understand the concepts explored. I also use them when I need a refresher or to build my skills in a specific area.” – Harmony Online Portal User

“I am more committed to a safer learning environment for the children. I can also better recognize the difference between young children who are struggling and a child who is suffering.” – Harmony Online Portal User

How can teachers get relationship-skills training?

Harmony has an Online Learning Portal that equips Pre-K-6th grade teachers with everything they need to integrate personal, social, and academic learning into the classroom. This includes Harmony activities such as:
- Everyday Practices: daily strategies that create a sense of community within your learning environment.
- Harmony Goals are created by the class and reflect how your students agree to treat one another.
- Daily Meet Ups build community as the class shares ideas and resolves issues.
- Buddy Up fosters diverse peer connections through meaningful activities and shared experiences.
- Quick Connection Cards promote thinking, collaboration, and conversation
- And more!
The sister product, Inspire, offers on-demand courses and resources at no cost that provide healthy learning training for educators of all grades.

These online learning tools are available to homeschooling parents, too!

How can I get started with Harmony or Inspire ?

The ideal time to train teachers would be during their pre-service training, but it’s never too late to begin learning. You can get started with Harmony and Inspire today by creating an account (or logging into an existing one) and exploring the platforms.

If you need extra help getting acclimated, we have webinars and events that give you strategies to implement our program best. We can also send trainers to your school district to help administrators on board.

Other articles like this:
Smart Strategies For Safe Spaces: How Teachers Build Healthy Learning Into Lesson Plans
Smart Strategies For Safe Spaces: How Teachers Build Healthy Learning Into Lesson Plans
“Safe spaces” have gotten a lot of attention as individuals and businesses have begun to recognize the importance of environments where everyone feels welcome and included.

This is especially true in school environments, where students often face challenges and life changes that can leave them feeling vulnerable.

Healthy Learning is a critical component of creating safe spaces, and it’s up to teachers to build it into their lesson plans. We are prepared to equip you with all you need to add healthy learning strategies to your daily teachings.

In this article, we will:
- Explore what Harmony healthy learning and educator well-being are and how they can help you create a safe space in your classroom.
- Explore what a safe space is and why creating this environment in your classroom and school community is important.
- Share strategies for building healthy learning into your lesson plans.
- Learn how to incorporate Harmony into your classroom activities.
- Explore additional resources for pathways to well-being for teachers.
What is Harmony?

Harmony Academy, a part of National University, provides an Online Learning Portal that equips Pre-K-6th grade teachers with everything they need to integrate relationship-building skills into the classroom, including training, lessons, activities, videos, stories, games, and songs.

Harmony’s online learning portal provides healthy learning strategies that can be implemented in your everyday teaching in as little as 10 minutes a day.

What is a safe space?

A safe space is where an individual or category of people can feel safe and will not be exposed to discrimination, criticism, harassment, or any other emotional or physical harm.

Safe spaces can be purposefully created groups or simply environments where everyone feels safe. They can also be very beneficial to helping a student calm down and regulate their emotional state before continuing to learn.

Creating healthy learning lesson plans that help foster a safe space in the classroom can be a beneficial and positive way to build your classroom community.

What are some strategies for building healthy learning into your lesson plans?

Several smart strategies for building healthy learning into your lesson plans exist. We’ve created a list of activities and linked them to no-cost resources (such as the Harmony Curriculum) that you can access and begin using immediately:

Self-awareness is a great place to start. Creating safe spaces begins with self-awareness, so begin by helping your students feel comfortable and capable of recognizing their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Encourage them to reflect on their experiences and how they affect their feelings and actions.

Harmony Unit 1: Being My Best Self explores understanding how everyone has connected emotions, thoughts, and actions; strategies to use more helpful self-talk and a growth mindset; and how these skills promote positive group dynamics.

Use real-life scenarios and situations. By bringing real-life scenarios into your lessons, you can help your students develop the relationship skills of empathy and understanding. This includes activities such as discussing current events, role-playing, or reading books that deal with difficult topics such as racism and bullying.

By exploring these topics in a safe and supportive environment, students can better understand themselves and others.

Harmony Professional Learning Module: Teaching Students Empathy can help you understand what empathy is, why it’s essential to foster in the classroom, and what specific actions you can take to develop a more empathic environment.

Encourage positive communication. Teach your students how to communicate effectively and positively with their peers. Use Harmony Curriculum Unit 3: Communicating with Others to encourage watching and listening attentively to understand and respond, conversation skills, communicating in different settings, when and how to speak up, and communicating for collaboration.

Build a community. A sense of community is essential to creating a safe space. A good starting point is Creating Classroom Rules. Classroom rules can help establish a positive classroom environment by helping refine your ability to design effective rules in collaboration with students.

Encourage your students to collaborate on projects, share their experiences, and support one another. Building a community in your classroom can create a safe and supportive environment where everyone feels valued and respected.

Learn how intentional classroom design and planning can engage and empower all students in Harmony Professional Development Developing Healthy Relationships Pathway > Classroom Design and Instruction Unit.

Use mindfulness techniques. Mindfulness techniques such as breathing exercises or guided meditations can help students develop self-control and emotional regulation. It can be beneficial to take a mindful moment after transitions such as lunch, recess, or room changes. It can even be used with young children!

By adding these techniques to your lessons, you can help your students learn to manage their emotions healthily.

Use positive reinforcement. Celebrate your students’ successes and encourage positive behavior with praise and recognition. This can help reinforce positive behaviors and encourage your students to continue to grow and develop.

These interventions and strategies can be used in the classroom, in Out-of-School Time Programs, and even with homeschooling parents.

How can I begin using Harmony healthy learning strategies in the classroom?

Harmony training and activities are offered at no-cost for teachers, administrators, educators, parents, and caregivers. You can create or log into your account today and get started!

You can access Live Online Training and On-Demand Training on the Harmony website.

If you need extra help implementing these programs, we can send trainers to your school district to help administrators onboard.

How can I further explore my professional development as a healthy learning teacher?

You can further your professional development through Harmony Professional Development online modules and through the degree program with Sanford College of Education at National University.

Other articles like this: Does Healthy Learning Development Training Matter? 4 Teachers Give Their Opinion
NEW Out-of-School Time (OST) Third Edition Lessons Are Here!
“OST providers have many competing requirements to fulfill in their short time with students. That’s why I’m excited to share the new Harmony OST Edition. It builds the foundation yet remains flexible in its practices to create the ‘secret sauce’ to a healthy and happy environment for kids to grow and learn!” —Lauren Puzen, Chief of Strategy, Harmony SEL

We Are Thrilled to Announce Harmony SEL Third Edition Out-of-School Time Lessons Are Here!

Snuggle up with a cup of coffee — or herbal tea — and take some uninterrupted time to explore the Harmony portal and familiarize yourself with the content.

Communication is an essential part of healthy relationships. Without it, it’s difficult to learn and thrive in multiple environments. With the latest OST lessons in Harmony Third Edition, students can practice their communication skills in quick snapshots to help them thrive and form meaningful relationships. Topics include:
- Whole-body listening
- Conversation bloopers and boosters
- Using conversation “dos”
- Using words to tell a story
Since these lessons are short yet substantive, they’re perfect for any out-of-school staff member, volunteers, high schoolers, education-oriented college students, and experienced OST professionals.

OST Third Edition Highlights

In Harmony Third Edition, lessons are created for Out-of-School Time.
- Designed to be used by Out-of-School Time professionals (i.e., coordinators, coaches, facilitators, volunteers, etc.).
- Applicable to multiple age groups in one setting through grade banding for upper and lower grades.
- Upper-grade and lower-grade lessons aligned to each Harmony unit.
- Concepts are introduced in a bite-sized format.
- Lessons open with one of three suggested Quick Connections: a Conversation Starter, Collaboration topic, or Community Builder.
- Lessons follow a four-step process of Get Ready, Get Set, Go!, and Stop and Reflect.
OST Highlights for Providers:

In Harmony Third Edition, lessons are created for Out-of-School Time. Perks include:
- Promotes healthy relationships and social wellness within out-of-school environments.
- Supports the Unit Themes through highly engaging activities.
- Offers device-friendly format (i.e., can be printed for use at the playground, cafeteria, or in other non-classroom facilities).
- Requires little or no materials.
- Allows for work in small or large groups with provider facilitation tips.
Out-of-School Time is the perfect place to foster healthy relationships. Lessons from the OST Third Edition give you all the benefits and connection to Harmony resources while honoring the uniqueness and flexibility of after-school.

We hope you enjoy what Third Edition has to offer and look forward to continuing the work of social and emotional learning in our schools and surrounding communities.

EXPLORE OST FOR LOWER GRADES!

EXPLORE OST FOR UPPER GRADES!

Learn more at harmonysel.org and start implementing SEL with the
Harmony Online Learning Portal.
High School Teachers’ Favorite Online Healthy Learning Activities
As a high school teacher, you know better than anyone that your students will let you know when they don’t find something interesting.

While younger kids may love healthy learning activities, students in grades 9 through 12 might respond with, “we already know everything about relationships!” You may even be wondering if it’s worth the time to incorporate relationship-building activities for older kids.

If this sounds familiar, we have two good things to share with you:
1. There are proven benefits of relationship skills far beyond the school community and student success. Studies have shown that the benefits are long-term and global, showing increased well-being in individuals up to 18 years later.
2. Healthy learning lesson plans can be implemented into your day in as little as 5-10 minutes, some with little-to-no prep.
In this blog post, we will explore both of these further, as well as answer questions you may have, such as:
We will also share ways you can further explore healthy learning, your professional development, and how to be the best healthy learning teacher out there! Let’s dive in!

What is Healthy Learning?

Healthy learni ng is a teaching and learning process to develop and acquire the skills, knowledge, and beliefs all individuals need to be successful in school, work, and life.

In their updated definition, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines healthy learning as “an integral part of education and human development. Healthy learning is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.”

What is Educator Well-Being Capacity Pathway?

Educators may engage in an intentional process to continually nurture competencies and capacities. Specifically, Educator Well-being includes two core components:
- Competencies — processes educators take to nurture their personal and social competencies (e.g., understanding and managing emotions, forming meaningful relationships, making helpful choices).
- Capacities — the ability to translate knowledge of relationship-based learning to support student personal, social, and academic development.
How does Harmony Professional Learning work?

The program is built on two Inspirational Pathways:
- Building Teaching Practices (modules that explore engagement strategies for high-quality classroom instruction).
- Developing Well-being Capacity (modules on how to build healthy relationships in supportive learning environments).
The modules within each program are structured to help you succeed. They:
- Emphasize a unique aspect of teaching strategies and classroom management and include role-specific Implementation Resources.
- Are organized by topic. For example, the Professional Practices Unit includes the “Supporting Students with ADHD” module.
- The on-demand modules typically take 30-60 minutes to complete.
- Include a research-based micro course, followed by an assessment.
- Can earn you a certificate of completion which may be used for professional development hours or in some states, Continuing Education Units.
There are features throughout Inspire that help make the process easy and enjoyable, including:
- Multiple Module Resources enhance and expand the learning experience in different professional settings.
- The CARE model (it stands for “Care, Apply, Refine, and Elevate”) helps you incorporate modules depending on your learning environment:
  - After determining the Topics/Modules that best meet the group’s needs, everyone COMPLETES their assigned On-Demand Module(s), which could differ based on needs.
  - APPLY strategy from On-Demand Module(s) in the classroom.
  - REFINE application through peer observations and/or feedback from leaders.
  - ELEVATE teaching practice to inspire students. ELEVATE impact by sharing best practices with colleagues and becoming a teacher leader.
What online healthy learning activities do high school teachers love?

High school teachers like you use a variety of activities with their students to implement healthy learning lessons and activities in their classrooms. Some of the favorite activities among teachers in higher grades are:

Greeting students. One basic (and often overlooked) relationship skills activity is simply greeting your students as they start their day! Encourage light conversation on a topic of their interest to show them you are interested, too. The Harmony Quick Connection Cards are a fantastic way to incorporate this into the start of your day.

Role play. Relationship skills can be taught using situations drawn from students’ lives. Role play gives students the opportunity to explore a situation from someone else’s shoes and broaden their own view.

Reflective questions. Reflective questions can be used both personally and within the classroom to help reflect on important topics from Inspire. In the Inspire module, “Working Against Racial Bias” you are encouraged to develop a strong sociocultural consciousness. This understanding is gained by learning to ask reflective questions.

Choosing a quote for the day. Give each student an opportunity to choose a quote for the day or week in the classroom. Display it somewhere everyone can see it and reference it within your teaching.

Incorporating ‘associated actions.’ Associated actions are used alongside strategies to bring healthy learning to life within the classroom. In Inspire modules, “Using Critical Consciousness to Challenge Inequity” and “Linking Identity Through Cultural Competence” important topics are broken down into strategies perfect for the classroom.

Connect using literature. Find stories of individuals with stories from all different backgrounds in life, giving students the opportunity to connect with their struggles, challenges, and successes. Ask students to pick out books they feel a connection to, and share why!

Do you have questions about teaching relationship-based activities in high school?

We know you may have additional questions regarding Harmony interventions and how they can become a part of your everyday classroom setting. We encourage you to attend an upcoming webinar focused on supporting professional development and implementation of our programs online and at no cost.

What if I want to take my Harmony Professional Learning to the next level?

As an affiliate of National University, we are pleased to connect you to higher education pathways as a way to continue to support your well-being. National University offers multiple healthy learning degrees and certification programs, including a master of education, to help you excel in your professional development.
10 Ways Healthy Learning Interventions Can Prevent Bullying In Schools – Harmony
Smart Strategies For Safe Spaces: How Teachers Build Healthy Learning Into Lesson Plans

As an educator, have you been challenged with bullying behavior in your school? It can look like many different things, including verbal bullying and cyberbullying.

As many as one in five students report having experienced bullying in the classroom. Bullying can have many negative side effects, including physical, social, emotional, and academic harm to everyone involved. Harmony is on a mission to decrease statistics like these through the use of healthy learning practices. We provide resources to equip students in grades Pre-K-6 to practice vital relationship skills, pursue academic and personal goals with confidence, and build positive friendships and relationships by offering:
- Healthy learning training for teachers
- Personal, social and academic-focused lesson plans
- General online SEL learning
In this blog post, we will address the following:
- What is Harmony Academy?
- What is Healthy Learning?
- What types of bullying are there?
- How can teachers prevent bullying in school?
- How can Healthy Learning play a role in preventing bullying?
What is Harmony Academy?

Harmony Academy, part of National University, has an Online Learning Portal that equips Pre-K-6th grade teachers with everything they need to integrate personal, social, and academic learning into the classroom, including training, lessons, activities, videos, stories, games, and songs.

What Is Healthy Learning?

Healthy learning is a teaching and learning process to develop and acquire the skills, knowledge, and beliefs all individuals need to be successful in school, work, and life.

What types of bullying are there?

There are four types of bullying that can occur in the classroom. These types can occur independently, or simultaneously.
- Verbal bullying: saying (or writing) hurtful things to another, including name-calling, teasing, and taunting.
- Social bullying: the act of hurting one’s reputation or relationships. This can include excluding individuals intentionally, asking others to refrain from being their friend, and spreading rumors about someone.
- Physical bullying: hurting someone physically, or hurting their possessions. It includes hitting, slapping, punching, and destroying someone’s personal belongings.
- Cyberbullying: takes place digitally, through the use of cellphones, computers, email, social media, text messaging, and the like.
How can teachers prevent bullying in school?

Developing students’ relationship skills is a promising approach to avert bullying. There is evidence that healthy learning protects students from becoming targets and lowers the risk of someone bullying others. Schools can address bullying behavior by creating a healthy culture that has clear norms and expectations around bullying, all of which can be successfully taught through Harmony lessons.

How can Healthy Learning interventions help prevent bullying?

Harmony has 10 strategies for educators to prevent bullying behavior in schools through the use of social and emotional learning:
1. Help students identify and form connections within their class. Harmony healthy learning creates an environment where peers are more likely to feel a connection within the classroom.
2. Teach students to resolve conflicts and disagreements. Step it Up lets students practice resolving conflicts by engaging in role-playing with a partner.
3. Help students form and strengthen relationships. Relationships among peers are vital in reducing bullying behavior within the classroom.
4. Advocate for fairness and justice. Harmony healthy learning programs can teach students about fairness and justice in a way young children can easily understand.
5. Promote inclusivity. Activities within Harmony such as “The Commonalities Game” encourage the celebration of similarities and differences among students, helping promote inclusivity throughout the classroom.
6. Foster enjoyment at school. Relationship skills learned within Harmony create a more welcoming and inviting environment, which means students feel more optimistic and are more likely to enjoy going to school.
7. Direct students to act less aggressively toward one another. Battle the Bully Bot is a game that helps students consider effective and ineffective ways to deal with bullying as they race across the game board.
8. Teach empathy. Harmony healthy learning activities help students develop empathy for better conflict resolution and build skills such as self-awareness, self-management, and responsible decision-making.
9. Strengthen social problem-solving skills. Youth will learn problem-solving skills naturally within each lesson of Harmony.
10. Promote academic improvement. Harmony Academy’s Harmony-Academic Integration has been shown to increase student success significantly. In fact, 13% academic improvement has been observed.
Harmony is designed to build healthy relationships among students by engaging them in lessons and activities that promote empathy, understanding, and respect. These effective practices build supportive relationships that ultimately help prevent bullying. You can learn more about the benefits of Harmony and start implementing it in your school community at no cost with the training and activities available on the Harmony Online Learning Platform.

To access additional training for teachers and further your professional development visit Harmony Professional Development within Harmony Academy offers on-demand courses, certification programs, and resources at no cost.

Homeschooling parents, you don’t have to miss out; you can create a profile and practice online healthy learning homeschool style!
Turning Over a New Leaf: How to Navigate Harmony SEL

Turning Over a New Leaf:
How to Navigate Harmony SEL

by Mimi Seeley, Harmony Client Success Associate

“Building relationships with students is a critical component to teaching the content. Only when a student feels safe and seen can they truly embrace learning the curriculum.” – Alex Kajitani, California Teacher of the Year 2009

The school year is well underway for many educators and students alike. If you’re reading this, then, more than likely, you decided to use Harmony’s SEL curriculum this school year as a means of supporting your SEL instruction. You know the benefits and believe in the mission behind the curriculum. Still, you might wonder, “Where do I begin?” and “What do I need to know?” Here are some helpful tips and tricks for using Harmony this school year.

Explore the Portal

Snuggle up with a cup of coffee — or herbal tea — and take some uninterrupted time to explore the Harmony portal and familiarize yourself with the content. ·      Browse through all the materials, training, and resources that are available to you ·      From the Dashboard, dive into the section titled “Getting Started,” where you will find a detailed program overview, a welcome letter to send home to your students’ families, and planning guides for implementing Harmony into your daily instruction ·      For an overview of the year ahead, open the scope and sequence document within the tab labeled “Program Resources” Giving yourself some time to explore now will support your ability to provide effective SEL instruction throughout the months to come.

Create a Plan

As a teacher who used Harmony within the classroom, I found it beneficial to decide early on how and when I would build Harmony into the school day. From there, I established routines around my Everyday Practices and unit lessons implementation. This planning ensured that I was able to keep up the pace, and planning brought a sense of comfort and stability to me and my students. ·      For Meet-Up, choose a ten-minute block of time that works for your class and prioritize this opportunity for connection each day. I loved starting the day with Meet-Up, as this allowed for a transition into our classroom’s community. ·      Buddy-Up is also designed to be used daily. Like Meet-Up, Buddy-Up can be implemented within a five-to-ten-minute period. It’s best to seamlessly weave it into your instructional hours so that it reinforces the idea that peer interaction is a valuable part of our day-to-day routines.

Check out Harmony SEL Everyday Practices

·     It is recommended that you teach one Harmony lesson a week. Do so either in a 45-minute block of time or over several days by breaking the lesson into three parts.

·      Check out the Planning and Pacing Guides under “Program Resources” for more ideas around scheduling — including information on how to integrate Harmony into your small group rotations.

Teaching a Unit

As you dive into your first unit of instruction, I encourage you to set aside a little time for planning and preparation. This will ensure that you move through the lessons with greater ease and efficacy.

Click to view Unit 1, Grade 3

·      Begin by navigating through all the unit resources (a home letter, unit-specific vocabulary, educator SEL, etc.) and developing an understanding of the unit’s goals.

·      Preview all the lessons within a unit before instruction to provide yourself with knowledge of how they come together to form a cohesive whole.

·      Determine which materials you’d like a physical copy of and print them out — this ensures that you aren’t left scrambling for them five minutes before the school bell rings.

·      While exploring the upcoming unit, take some time to consider how the learning goals of the unit, and the unit’s lessons, could be integrated into your classroom. We will soon have Literature Alignment Guides to support this integration.

Further Your Learning

As with any new undertaking, there is a lot to learn, and questions will likely come up along the way. We at Harmony are here to support you through this process.

·      Each month, we offer webinars and events that touch upon various aspects of Harmony Third Edition. Review the calendar and see if you can find a session that will work for you

·      Check out the Educator SEL embedded within the landing page of each unit for aligned Inspire modules

Check out this example of an aligned Inspire module

·      Contact us at Harmony with any questions you have. We want to help!

Final Thoughts

“Teaching SEL is not something that slows down the teacher because it is one more thing to do; rather, teaching SEL is like taking a moment to pull back a slingshot so that learning can shoot forward and be accelerated.” – Alex Kajitani, California Teacher of the Year 2009

Every student’s social, emotional, and cognitive skills are crucial and shouldn’t be left to chance. With a foundation in researched, established methodology, Harmony will support you as an educator as you work to address SEL within your classroom. These tips and tricks will assist you as you get going. Now, it’s time to dive in and begin your year with Harmony.

Learn more at harmonysel.org and start implementing SEL with the Harmony Online Learning Portal.
Harmony SEL at National University, Healthier Generation, and Kaiser Permanente Announce America’s Healthiest Schools
265 schools honored for strengthening social-emotional health & learning and cultivating staff well-being in 2022

(San Diego, CA), October 12, 2022 – Alliance for a Healthier Generation, with support from Harmony SEL at nonprofit National University and Kaiser Permanente, today recognized 265 schools for implementing best practices around social-emotional health and staff well-being as part of its 2022 America’s Healthiest Schools program. The Staff Well-Being and Social-Emotional Health & Learning distinctions celebrate schools for creating environments where staff can thrive, and students are healthy and ready to learn. One hundred and ninety-five schools met the criteria for Cultivating Staff Well-Being and 176 for Strengthening Social-Emotional Health & Learning. In total, 406 schools across 26 states were recognized for achievements in advancing the physical, mental, and social-emotional health of students, staff, and families.

This year, the award program was expanded to meet schools and districts where they are, celebrating excellence amid ongoing challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic and systemic inequities, especially for individuals that identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color (BIPOC) and youth from under-resourced communities. Nearly 75% of the awardees are Title I schools, and nearly two-thirds serve majority BIPOC students.

“Social-emotional learning is the cornerstone of navigating often uncertain circumstances brought on by traumatic events of the past few years,” said Kathy Higgins, chief executive officer at Healthier Generation. “These schools exemplify how students and staff have worked together to build trusting relationships, foundational to school-wide resiliency and well-being for years to come.”

Developed and perfected by classroom teachers, the Harmony SEL program helps youth learn to develop and improve interpersonal skills in areas such as communication, cooperation, and conflict resolution. Harmony SEL is already in various stages of adoption nationwide reaching more than 13 million young people.

“National University is proud to co-sponsor the Social and Emotional Health and Learning and the Staff Well-Being Distinctions of America’s Healthiest School Awards through Healthier Generation alongside Kaiser Permanente,” said National University President Dr. Mark D. Milliron. “We offer our sincerest congratulations to all of the winners and applaud their dedication to fostering healthy learning environments for students and educators.”

“The health of our nation’s schools requires everyone in the school community — students, staff, and teachers— to be supported in all areas of their health and well-being,” said Annie Reed, DrPH, MPP, executive director for Kaiser Permanente Thriving Schools & Communities. “We congratulate and celebrate these schools for leading the way and demonstrating what healthy schools can look like.”

Schools can be recognized for implementing best practices in up to nine topic areas, based on criteria in the Thriving Schools Integrated Assessment:
1. Strengthening Social-Emotional Health and Learning, presented in collaboration with Kaiser Permanente and Harmony SEL at National University
2. Cultivating Staff Well-Being, presented in collaboration with Kaiser Permanente and Harmony SEL at National University
3. Increasing Family and Community Engagement, presented in collaboration with Kohl’s
4. Improving Nutrition and Food Access
5. Implementing Local School Wellness Policy
6. Bolstering Physical Education and Activity
7. Enriching Health Education
8. Promoting Tobacco-Free Schools
9. Supporting School Health Services
Eleven schools that earned recognition in all nine topic areas received an All-Star distinction.

Harmony SEL is one of the nation’s fastest-growing social emotional learning programs and America’s Healthiest Schools remains one of the country’s longest-running nationwide recognition programs honoring schools for achievements in supporting the whole health needs of students and school staff. The combined impact of these programs reaches millions of students to create positive environments that foster healthier living and learning outcomes.

View the complete list of Social-Emotional Health & Learning winners at HealthierGeneration.org/HealthiestSchools/SEH.

View the complete list of Staff Well-Being winners at HealthierGeneration.org/HealthiestSchools/SWB.

View the complete list of America’s Healthiest Schools at HealthierGeneration.org/HealthiestSchools.

About Harmony SEL: Harmony SEL is an affiliate program of the National University System. These no-cost programs strive to ensure that every student feels part of a safe, supportive learning community and that every teacher and provider is equipped to create inclusive and engaging learning opportunities. By offering SEL skill development experiences across contexts through relationship-driven activities, Harmony helps young people build and sustain relationships, giving them tools to grow into compassionate and caring adults. Harmony has been recognized as a CASELect program by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Learn more about Harmony at harmonysel.org and learn about Inspire at inspiresel.org.

About Alliance for a Healthier Generation

Alliance for a Healthier Generation is a leading children’s health organization that advances equitable whole child health. Driven by our passion to ensure that every mind, every body, and every young person is healthy and ready to succeed, our work has reached over 31 million young people across the country. To learn more and help make a difference, visit HealthierGeneration.org and join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.2 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health.
Inspire Educator SEL Units: Now Available

Inspire: Leading In Learning has expanded its professional development resources to support your needs. In addition to more than 70 original research-driven modules, we have launched two new units in Educator SEL and academic integration for SEL-informed instruction.

What is Educator SEL?

The new resources in Educator SEL will complement the current content and help you build strong relationships, manage your emotions, practice self-care, foster equity and inclusion in your learning community, and more. According to Richie Ressel, Sr. Director of the Office of Operations & Innovation, “By creating a work environment that focuses on adult SEL, educators will learn how to identify stress symptoms they are experiencing and possible causes of that stress. It will also help leaders as they foster a supportive emotional environment in school for adults and students.”

Why SEL Integration?

Research has shown that having well developed social and emotional competencies helps students succeed academically, personally, and professionally well into adulthood. Dr. Frances Gipson suggests, “SEL is no longer a nice to have, it is a must have. Now academically integrated, with an even stronger understanding of a JEDI mindset (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion), we are seeing the SEL practices that are needed to match who we need to be for our learners.”

Our new modules will help you integrate SEL into your teaching with an initial focus on 10 teaching practices that promote SEL developed by our Director of Strategic Initiatives Dr. Nick Yoder, and one focusing on the three components recommended by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) using interactive instructional practices and structures.

We look forward to supporting you in new ways and we are excited to offer this growing resource for professional development and social and emotional well-being to educators at no cost. Thank you for being an inspirational teacher!

Register in the Inspire Online Learning Portal for access to our full collection of resources and follow us on social media for more updates!

Does Healthy Training Matter? 4 Teachers Give Their Opinion

Does Healthy Training Matter? 4 Teachers Give Their Opinion

What is Healthy Learning?

What is Relationship-Skills Training?

Does Personal, Social, and Academic Training matter? We asked teachers’ opinions.

How can teachers get relationship-skills training?

How can I get started with Harmony or Inspire ?

Smart Strategies For Safe Spaces: How Teachers Build Healthy Learning Into Lesson Plans

What is Harmony?

What is a safe space?

What are some strategies for building healthy learning into your lesson plans?

How can I begin using Harmony healthy learning strategies in the classroom?

How can I further explore my professional development as a healthy learning teacher?

NEW Out-of-School Time (OST) Third Edition Lessons Are Here!

We Are Thrilled to Announce Harmony SEL Third Edition Out-of-School Time Lessons Are Here!

OST Third Edition Highlights

OST Highlights for Providers:

EXPLORE OST FOR LOWER GRADES!

EXPLORE OST FOR UPPER GRADES!

High School Teachers’ Favorite Online Healthy Learning Activities

What is Educator Well-Being Capacity Pathway?

How does Harmony Professional Learning work?

What online healthy learning activities do high school teachers love?

Do you have questions about teaching relationship-based activities in high school?

What if I want to take my Harmony Professional Learning to the next level?

10 Ways Healthy Learning Interventions Can Prevent Bullying In Schools – Harmony

What is Harmony Academy?

What Is Healthy Learning?

What types of bullying are there?

How can teachers prevent bullying in school?

How can Healthy Learning interventions help prevent bullying?

Turning Over a New Leaf: How to Navigate Harmony SEL

Turning Over a New Leaf:
How to Navigate Harmony SEL

Explore the Portal

Create a Plan

Teaching a Unit

Further Your Learning

Final Thoughts

Harmony SEL at National University, Healthier Generation, and Kaiser Permanente Announce America’s Healthiest Schools

Inspire Educator SEL Units: Now Available

Does Healthy Training Matter? 4 Teachers Give Their Opinion

Does Healthy Training Matter? 4 Teachers Give Their Opinion

What is Healthy Learning?

What is Relationship-Skills Training?

Does Personal, Social, and Academic Training matter? We asked teachers’ opinions.

How can teachers get relationship-skills training?

How can I get started with Harmony or Inspire ?

Smart Strategies For Safe Spaces: How Teachers Build Healthy Learning Into Lesson Plans

What is Harmony?

What is a safe space?

What are some strategies for building healthy learning into your lesson plans?

How can I begin using Harmony healthy learning strategies in the classroom?

How can I further explore my professional development as a healthy learning teacher?

NEW Out-of-School Time (OST) Third Edition Lessons Are Here!

We Are Thrilled to Announce Harmony SEL Third Edition Out-of-School Time Lessons Are Here!

OST Third Edition Highlights

OST Highlights for Providers:

EXPLORE OST FOR LOWER GRADES!

EXPLORE OST FOR UPPER GRADES!

High School Teachers’ Favorite Online Healthy Learning Activities

What is Healthy Learning?

What is Educator Well-Being Capacity Pathway?

How does Harmony Professional Learning work?

What online healthy learning activities do high school teachers love?

Do you have questions about teaching relationship-based activities in high school?

What if I want to take my Harmony Professional Learning to the next level?

10 Ways Healthy Learning Interventions Can Prevent Bullying In Schools – Harmony

What is Harmony Academy?

What Is Healthy Learning?

What types of bullying are there?

How can teachers prevent bullying in school?

How can Healthy Learning interventions help prevent bullying?

Turning Over a New Leaf: How to Navigate Harmony SEL

Turning Over a New Leaf:How to Navigate Harmony SEL

Explore the Portal

Create a Plan

Teaching a Unit

Further Your Learning

Final Thoughts

Harmony SEL at National University, Healthier Generation, and Kaiser Permanente Announce America’s Healthiest Schools

Inspire Educator SEL Units: Now Available

Turning Over a New Leaf:
How to Navigate Harmony SEL