Our mission is to promote and advance effective social emotional learning in all schools, families, organizations, and communities in South Carolina. 

Lorilei Swanson, Upstate Regional Family Engagement Liaison, worked closely with school personnel and family and community stakeholders at Marshall Primary School (MPS) to apply for and receive a two-year grant through the SC Department of Education’s Farm to School Program. MPS is one of 20 grant recipients and uniquely plans to integrate opportunities for social-emotional growth and development throughout the gardening experience. Courtney Grimes, a school counselor at MPS, worked closely with members of the School Improvement Council, to expand social and emotional learning (SEL) activities for PreK to K5 students in its garden and on its playground. Partnerships include a community member who will paint graphics on the sidewalk to encourage interactive play, a parent with a horticulture degree to co-manage the garden, a school librarian who will create an SEL Story Walk, and a cafeteria manager to expand healthy local choices for school lunch. Teachers will incorporate SEL lessons throughout the gardening experience and engage students in SEL games from the Playworks Game Guide. To ensure that SEL is seamless for students as they transition from school to home, parents may attend a free six-week Positive Solutions series through Family Connections of SC. Parents who successfully complete this interactive SEL training will be featured in the MPS Parent Hall of Fame.