There are so many beautiful kid-grit stories to tell from these first five years. If you have been following us, you have most likely seen them on social media or in a blog like this one. In this important anniversary edition, we want to share what we have learned on this journey.

1. We have learned there is a need for credentialing institutions to teach SEL to anyone focused on serving youth. We see challenging behavior in schools, and educators being asked to manage it. The solution is simple: human connection must be in place before content can be embraced. Students need a safe place physically and emotionally to learn. The teacher needs to be as confident with teaching an academic lesson as they are with building a relationship so that the doors to learning can be opened and stay that way. Credentialing institutions need to support pre-service teachers with more than basic classroom management strategies and include relationship building frameworks as part of the strategy.

2. We have learned that access to information online and time spent on devices compromise youth behavior. There are consequences for spending too much time online. Many young people are processing too quickly, becoming complacent and uninterested in learning. While there are benefits to digital literacy, young people often lack good decision-making skills. These skills are necessary when young people learn about drugs or sex education and help them make healthy choices. We must help students learn to manage behaviors, interpret social media, the news and images, and help them regulate how much time they spend on devices.

3. Our job at kid-grit is to care for the educator, inspire them and empower them with their own SEL and wellness practices before entering any learning environment. We did this pre-Covid, and our professional learning services are even more desirable now. To be successful in facilitating SEL, educators need to learn by experiencing the same practices that the student curriculum offers.