On November 20th, 2024, World Children’s Day marked two significant milestones: the 65th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the 35th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In honor of this occasion, The Education Collaboratory at Yale, in collaboration with Yale’s Undergraduate UNICEF Chapter, hosted a Pop-Up Event at the Child Student Center. The World Children’s Day Pop Up Festival was developed by Dr. Joshua Friedman and Six Seconds. “POP-UP Festival is celebrated in 200+ countries are sharing free, playful, meaningful activities to help kids grow their emotional intelligence and take action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
Dr. Christina Cipriano, Director of the Education Collaboratory and associate professor at the Yale Child Study Center was invited to the UN in 2023 to take part in a Pop-Up Festival and left inspired and committed “to bring this momentum to Yale’s campus and the New Haven community.” One year later, Chris and team were thrilled to welcome students from Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven for a facilitated dialogue on the intersection of mental health and climate change, specifically highlighting the social and emotional learning (SEL) skills and lessons youth have acquired in response to these challenges.
The Climate of Emotions
This opportunity to converse with like-minded adults allowed us to feel heard and supported amidst the isolating pressures of climate change
Christopher Van Tassel, Student at Wilbur Cross High School
A major focus of the event was the "climate of emotions," a phrase used to describe the emotional and psychological landscape shaped by climate change. Students from the Wilbur Cross Environmental Club in New Haven presented their perspectives on how climate change impacts mental health and how they are working towards climate resilience through their club. Students not only shared their experiences and frustrations, but also reflected on how their individual strides in climate work can help shape the environment they live in.
We want the adults in our lives to know that we are frustrated—with all the actions the generations before us failed to take. But we’re not just going to point fingers and dole out blame for what happened in the past. We want the adults to know that our generation feels productive frustration geared toward the future. Our frustration fuels us to get involved and look for ways to raise our voice in climate change discussions.
Manxi Han, Student at Wilbur Cross High School
It was really inspiring to work with the Wilbur Cross students. It was so exciting to watch them impress all of the Yale faculty that attended as they had been impressing me with their leadership from the first time, I spoke with them about the event a month prior. All in all, we have so much to learn from youth climate activists!
Angie Sanchez, Yale UNICEF Chapter
Student leaders from the Yale UNICEF Chapter added to the conversation by describing the importance of emotional resilience in facing the challenges posed by a rapidly changing world. Through the leadership of Angie Sanchez, Yale College Senior and president of the Yale UNICEF Chapter, the club worked with students at Wilbur Cross leading up to the event to mentor their facilitation of the emotionally intelligent dialogue to drive action.
Systemic changes only come when people start by deciding to live more sustainably and make small choices every day to accomplish that.
Isaac Kleppner, Student at Wilbur Cross High School
World Children’s Day commemorates the anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child, which, 65 years ago, highlighted the importance of social and emotional learning as a human right!
Social and Emotional Learning and the SDGs
World Children’s Day serves as a reminder of the universal importance of emotional and social well-being, underscoring the role of SEL as a fundamental human right. The Declaration of the Rights of the Child highlighted the significance of emotional well-being in children's development 65 years ago, and today, SEL continues to be a critical aspect of children's education worldwide. The Education Collaboratory at Yale recognizes this deep connection between SEL and the global challenges of our time, and through ongoing work, it aims to bridge the gap between SEL and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
One segment of the event, the "SEL Science and SDG Crosswalk", facilitated by Dr. Michael McCarthy, postdoctoral associate at the Education Collaboratory, emphasized how SEL is vital for addressing the complex challenges outlined in the SDGs, including poverty, hunger, health, education, inequality, peace, and environmental sustainability. SEL, which encompasses emotional intelligence, behavior regulation, identity formation, and relationship-building skills, plays a crucial role in equipping youth with the tools they need to navigate these global challenges.
SEL gives youth the skills to become changemakers, empowering them to tackle the urgent issues of our time.
Dr. Sophie Barnes, Postdoctoral Associate at Education Collaboratory
By promoting empathy, well-being, and togetherness, SEL supports youth build the resilience needed to address the global challenges they will face throughout their lives. The work being done by the Education Collaboratory is filling an important gap in the literature by showcasing the critical role of SEL in achieving the SDGs.
We are extraordinarily grateful to Chris, Angie, and the rest of the team at Yale UNICEF for hosting us on Wednesday. We enjoyed having a safe, receptive space for us to share all the things that we do as a club and having a wonderful audience with whom we were able to have many meaningful conversations. We definitely learned as much from our audience members as they did about the Environmental Club! It was an invaluable experience!
Manxi Han, Student at Wilbur Cross High School
This event, hosted by the Education Collaboratory, Yale Undergraduate UNICEF Chapter, and Six Seconds, provided a unique platform for sharing these insights and fostering deeper connections between social and emotional learning and global sustainability efforts. By continuing to promote the intersection of SEL and the SDGs, we hope to continue to play a role in shaping a future where youth are equipped not only to navigate the challenges ahead but also to lead the way in creating a more sustainable, equitable, and compassionate world.
The collaborators are preparing a formal call to action that summarizes the key learning from the event and science and catalyzes future directions to advance the SDGs through SEL. Stay up to date by following the Education Collaboratory on LinkedIn or email us at educollab@yale.edu