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OSP’S SEL Program Is Expanding!​

Open Studio Project’s Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) & Art Curriculum is expanding to nine Chicago Public K-8th schools, the majority on the south & west sides. From PreK to Grade 12, school principals and teachers are finding that OSP’s unique creative art-making process and SEL instruction meets the needs of students both in the classroom and in virtual settings.
 
Begun in District 65 schools and low-income pre-schools in Evanston, data on student learning outcomes shows that student SEL skills increased from 17 – 20% after the program. Teachers, school counselors, and art therapists use the Curriculum to help students identify their emotions, manage stress and conflict, listen, communicate, share, build positive relationships, set goals, and make responsible decisions.
 
OSP Executive Director Sarah Laing said, “Educators and administrators are seeing that SEL skills are a top priority for student success in school and life. The lessons are building a sense of community that students are currently missing with virtual learning during the pandemic.” 
 
During the lessons at Seward Elementary in Chicago, (take out the word most) students reported feeling happy, excited, proud, and calm.
About using a new SEL problem-solving skills, one student said, 
“I tried my best and if I did it wrong, I tried to fix it.”  
 
 
Follow how this program unfolds in schools, volunteer to help prep art kits, and consider becoming a donor to make the program more accessible to all.