Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Task Force
Social Emotional Learning
Families want effective social emotional learning (SEL) opportunities for their children that nurture emotional intelligence, foster positive relationships, enhance academic performance, and equip students with valuable life skills.
At Kids First Chicago, we focus on Social Emotional Learning for Chicago families around SEL topics that matter most to them. We also have a dedicated, parent-led task force to create an advocacy plan that pushes for effective and equitable SEL in every Chicago public school.
A comprehensive survey and qualitative discussions with more than 50 Kids First Chicago parent leaders identified social-emotional learning, equitable funding, and high-quality teaching as the top barriers preventing every Chicago student from receiving a world-class education. In response, the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Task Force launched in June 2023.
The SEL Task Force is a group of over 35 parents dedicated to broadening their understanding of social emotional learning and actively advocating for the changes parents seek for their children’s educational experience. Task Force members represent communities from across the city and have children in all levels of schooling.
Since launching in 2023, the Task Force has established a strong foundation in the basics of social emotional learning and the methods currently used in schools to measure it. Based on this learning, the Task Force developed a set of resources to share this information with other parents and caregivers beyond the Task Force.
In addition to understanding the basics of social emotional learning, the Task Force explored the Cultivate and 5Essentials Surveys, tools that Chicago Public Schools (CPS) uses to measure SEL at the school and classroom levels. From this learning, the Task Force wanted to further understand district policy on SEL and is now learning about CPS’s Whole School Safety Policy.
During the 2025-26 school year, the Task Force is focusing its learning and advocacy efforts on CPS’s Whole School Safety Policy. The Whole School Safety Policy, adopted during the 2024-25 school year, introduces a framework to enhance the well-being of students in all schools, focusing on physical safety, emotional safety, and relational trust. The new Whole School Safety Policy replaces CPS’s former social emotional learning policy.
The Task Force is examining key components of the Policy and how parents can play an active role in implementing it in individual schools. Check back here for updates on the Task Force’s work this year!