Supporting the Whole Student: Resources to Create Sustainable Social & Emotional Learning Practices

By Kalen Cobb, Associate College Counselor

High school ideally prepares students for the rigors of college while ensuring that they have the skills to think critically, engage with their community, and become “productive citizens.” An emphasis is placed on a student’s academic success and ability to engage in a variety of extracurricular activities. Unfortunately, this often means that a student’s mental, emotional, and spiritual health are not given equal nor adequate attention. Schools are beginning to realize the problems this creates and are increasingly paying attention to these facets through adopting social and emotional learning (SEL) practices. More often than not, though, students must seek outside resources to supplement their school’s offerings.

When I think back on my high school experience, the first images that pop into my head consist of a mix of plaid skirts, loud laughter, passing friends in the hallway, time spent in classrooms discussing the significance of Daisy’s green light, and lots and lots of homework. While I did have fun throughout those four years and was involved in a host of extracurricular activities, including theater and the Black Student Union, I actually spent a good amount of time working towards getting into college. While that’s not a bad goal in itself, when that becomes the sole focus of the high school experience, you can begin to feel overwhelmed, burnt out, and anxious.

Particularly near the end of junior year and into the fall semester of senior year, things can become increasingly stressful as the college application process reaches its peak. During this time, it’s easy to strictly focus on academics and forget your other needs. However, it is essential to access your resources and create sustainable practices that can ground you and remind you that you are more than just grades and test scores. 

Supporting the whole student – the idea that students are human beings who come with a host of needs, interests, achievements, and worth that goes beyond academics – is a movement that must be adopted widely to ensure that students are able to get the full support they need to be successful as human beings, not just future college students. In support of this cause, we believe that creating SEL-inspired habits will be paramount to your success. Beginning to institute these practices before you become overwhelmed will allow you to integrate them into your daily life which will make it much easier for you to access them in moments of high stress.

I believe that supporting the whole student is so important that I have curated some resources specifically with you in mind. In addition, we offer individualized support through our different packages that center your whole person in the college admissions process.

Academics

• Asana: Free work management app to support students in tracking their homework, quizzes, and projects, with customizable due dates.

• College Counseling Resources: We’ve compiled a broad list of resources that you may find helpful in the admissions process, including tutoring and test prep.

• Guide to Writing an Impactful College Essay: Get the inside scoop on how to make your essays stand out!

Finances

• The Mint: Financial literacy website offering information and simulations to demonstrate knowledge of various topics such as compound interest, investing, budgeting, and credit cards. 

• Youth.gov: Offers information on basic financial literacy, financing higher education, and youth employment programs.

Social

• 16 Personalities: Who are you outside of the classroom? Who are you hoping to become? There are so many personality tests out there, but this is one of my favorites because you can save and share your results for free, edit your avatar, and get insight into your behaviors and potential career paths.

• Beyond Barriers: When you sign up with one of our service packages, you will automatically have access to Beyond Barriers, our student and alumni platform dedicated to community events, career chats, and your way to access our mentoring program. 

• I don’t know about you, but I LOVE to laugh! Strange Planet and Wawawiwa are two of my favorite comics at the moment. What makes you LOL?

Spirituality

• Black Liturgies: I have been following this page for the last two years or so and I always feel like Cole is speaking directly to me. There are daily affirmations, breathing exercises, and prayers.

• Mindful Prayers for Students: A podcast by Sydney, our CEO, that provides students a moment of peace, meditation, and prayer, in the midst of the stressors of applying to college or law school, studying for exams, and juggling competing work and family obligations.

Wellness 

• BEAM: I could write an anthology of love letters to BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective). They offer all the things including virtual workshops, community events, wellness tools, and a directory of culturally-sensitive practitioners. 

• Headspace: A wellness app offering meditations, mindfulness activities, sleep sounds and music, and guided exercises. Headspace also offers a number of free resources on their YouTube. 

• The Steve Fund: In memory of his late brother, Evan Rose, a Harvard College Class of 2009 Alumnus, co-founded this organization that supports “the mental health and emotional well-being of young people of color.” 

• There are a number of creators offering free physical wellness videos including Dianne Bondy Yoga and Justin Agustin, two of my personal favorites.

Did you like these resources and want more to match your needs? Contact us to get started.