When it comes to ensuring that our students are resilient, empathetic, and kind, we’re all in this together. A number of contemporary factors impact the well-being of our students, including the pandemic, isolation, financial and relationship dilemmas, and food insecurity, making their social and emotional health difficult for educators and parents to focus on. Resources for school and family are critical for raising well-adjusted students and future citizens. 

PBS Kids resources can be especially helpful for teachers and guardians hoping to emphasize social-emotional learning in creative and age-appropriate ways. For example, Sesame Street in Communities helps our little ones tackle tough subject matters at their own level of understanding.  There are collections on trauma, community violence, resilience, eating well, and financial education to name a few. The trauma gallery features a video called, “Give Yourself a Hug,” in which our Sesame Street heroes help early learners feel better with the letter “H,” for giving ourselves a hug to improve our mood.

The supplemental documents in the trauma gallery provide teachers and counselors with an added tool to support the social and emotional health of our younger students.  Additional supplements provide hands-on learning activities for students at home and school that correspond with the video and lesson.

Other topics that can be explored in the Sesame Street in Communities collections in eMediaVA are “Community Violence,” “Offering Comfort,” “Grief,” “Resilience,” “Family Homelessness,” “Foster Care,” “Dealing with Divorce,” “Veterans,” and “Family Caregiving.” For additional resources, check out Sesame Street in Communities on the web. For additional social-emotional learning resources in eMediaVA, explore the SEL collection!  

Monica Mitchell is an ITRT in Martinsville Public Schools and an eMediaVA Teacher Ambassador.