The Character Playbook: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) for Middle School

EVERFI by BlackBaud is dedicated to helping organizations tackle intractable social issues by providing the missing layer of education. EVERFI leverages the combined power of their platform, people, and partner networks--like ELB Learning--to make sure learners have the tools and skills to drive ecosystems of change and inspire lifelong success.

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The Character Playbook is a digital social and emotional learning (SEL) course built upon the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)’s SEL framework to educate students on cultivating and maintaining healthy relationships during their critical middle school years.

The course is composed of five online modules that cover key concepts around positive character development, SEL, and building healthy relationships. Modules encourage learners to interact with true-to-life scenarios where characters need some help in navigating challenging situations (e.g., dilemmas, online and in-person communication, peer pressure, etc.). While learners get to follow how characters initiate, interact, or respond, they are asked to make choices as they see fit for some situations. Then learners are provided with constructive feedback that they can reflect on. With instructional scaffolding, the course guides learners on the five core competencies:

• Self-awareness
• Self-management
• Social awareness
• Relationship skills
• Responsible decision-making

While learners are encouraged to complete each module in sequential order, each module is standalone and can be completed in any order. Online modules can also be extended with additional remote/in-person learning resources, discussion prompts, and individual/group activities.

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