"Schools have a very important role to play in not just functioning as academic institutions, but also, I think, in investing in the social and emotional health of children today. And I would place the role that schools play today to be much greater than the role of any other influence in a child's life because there's so much that happens there." - Dr. Gitanjali G. Govindrajan, Arts Practices for Inclusion
The key learnings from the webinar are highlighted below, including both the innovative practices presented in the accompanying presentation and the key takeaways shared by the panelists. Did you miss the discussion? You can find the full webinar video above or on our YouTube channel.
Innovative Practices
The webinar showcased innovators representing a wide range of impactful wellbeing initiatives being implemented in schools around the world. Some of the highlighted innovations included:
- Arts Practices for Inclusion: A whole-school, arts-based approach to create inclusive learning environments, promote social inclusion, and enhance socio-emotional well-being for special needs and vulnerable groups, represented by director Dr. Gitanjali G Govindrajan.
- Learn to Play - Ithute Go Tshameka: An intergenerational early childhood education program for families that lack access to this support, represented by founder and director Priyanka Handa Ram.
- Flying Colors: A tech-enabled, project-based learning program to build foundational skills in emergencies and crisis contexts, represented by co-executive director Navya Akkinepally.
- Wisdom: The World of Emotions: A game-based social emotional learning app, which uses interactive games, Augmented Reality exercises, and real life practice activities, to help kids ages 4-8 learn to identify their feelings and use healthy coping strategies, represented by CEO Ondine Bullot.
- Connected North: An online platform that fosters student engagement and enhanced education outcomes in remote Indigenous communities, represented by executive director Jennifer Corriero.
- Reaching Our Goals: An innovation that uses sport to to increase attendance at foundational learning and vocational classes, challenge stereotypes, improve wellbeing and increase life skills, represented by executive director Harold Kuombolo.
We also heard from Olli-Pekka Heinonen, Director General at IB, and Michael Stevenson, senior consultant from OECD, who summarised innovators' thoughts and concluded the webinar.
"I feel that for too long, though nobody says it, the purpose of education has been education for jobs, for employment, but it's time for education to be in the service of human flourishing. And we thought about human flourishing's dimensions, happiness, but also meaning, relationships, accomplishment, however you define that." - Michael Stevenson, Senior Consultant, OECD
Key Takeaways
Some of the key takeaways from the webinar included:
- We must listen to community wisdom about the meaning of wellbeing in order to contextualise effective and inclusive practices.
- Wellbeing should be integrated into every aspect of education rather than treated as a separate subject or add-on to academics or curricula.
- It is essential to involve students in the design and implementation of wellbeing initiatives.
- Schools need to create a supportive and nurturing environment where students feel safe, connected, and respected.
- A more holistic approach to wellbeing, one that encompasses physical, mental, and social-emotional health, positions all of these aspects of wellbeing at the foundation for effective learning.
"Well-being is not separate from learning... And I think that's the global shift that we really need to make a kind of widespread change: that well-being is the foundation of all learning, not a separate 30 minute lesson you do." - Priyanka Handa Ram, Learn to Play - Ithute Go Tshameka
The webinar on wellbeing innovations in schools was a valuable opportunity to hear from innovators working all around the world to improve student wellbeing in schools. The insights shared by the panelists will help schools to develop and implement effective wellbeing programs that support the whole child.
To learn more about the Spotlight on Wellbeing in Schools, including all 15 selected innovations, download the full report.
