As local, state, national, and international leaders work to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus, many communities across the country are experiencing a heightened level of fear, anxiety, and worry during these uncertain times. Parents, educators, youth development professionals, childcare providers, and others are looking for ways to help young people reduce, manage, and cope with the fears, worries and anxieties that might be provoked by this health crisis and continue to develop the social and emotional skills they will need for managing and coping with future life challenges.
Download this report from the National Center for Learning Disabilities which explains how we can establish and enforce SEL concepts during the recent pandemic and unsettlement within our country. Download the report
"As I try to help my young patients and their families navigate their way through the COVID19 pandemic, it has become increasingly clear to me that social and emotional learning are absolutely crucial for the growth and development of a healthy, happy, successful child." – Dr. Debbie Greenhouse Palmetto Pediatrics/ past president of the South Carolina Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
Here is a Collection of Resources to Support These Efforts
- How to Talk to Children about the Coronavirus, Harvard Medical School
- Talking to Children About COVID-19 (Coronavirus): A Parent Resource, National Association of School Psychologists
- Coronavirus Public Health Emergency: Psychological Tips for Children and Adolescents’ Emotions, Department of Human Sciences, University of Verona
- Just for Kids: A Comic Exploring the New Coronavirus, NPR
- Social and Emotional Learning Supports for Children and Young Adults Around Covid-19, SEL4TX
- 5 Ways to Help Children Cope with Coronavirus Anxiety, Education Development Center
- Coronavirus, Online Learning, Social Isolation, and Cyberbullying: How To Support Our Students, Cyberbullying Research Center
- Ethical Considerations: School Counseling in a Virtual Setting, American School Counselors Association
- Healthy Home Practices During COVID 19, Everyday Speech
- Supporting Children’s Well Being During COVID-19, Yale New Haven Health
- The Pandemic Has Revealed What Really Matters in Education, Edsurge
Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence – Managing Anxiety Around COVID-19: Tips for You and Your School Community
CASEL Cares – A new initiative from the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning that connects the SEL community with experts to to support schools and teachers during the COVID-19 crisis.
Social-Emotional Learning: Not Just for Kids. In this post on The Cult of Pedagogy, Wendy Turner explains how she models the five core SEL competencies in her classroom and why teachers should lead by example.

The SEL Providers Council is committed to providing free resources and curriculum to support e-learning efforts across the country. Follow the links below to each provider’s individual page where the curriculum is located. For wide-ranging resources that support SEL practices and understanding during this challenging time, please visit the CASEL SEL Resources page. Resources on this page have not been evaluated from CASEL through the organization’s program review process
School Responses to COVID-19: Serving ELLs and Immigrant Students
How can schools and districts ensure that ELLs and their families are included in all communications and school closure plans related to COVID-19?
- Distance Learning for ELLs: Guide and Resources
- School Responses to COVID-19: ELL/Immigrant Considerations
- Communicating with ELLs and Their Families During School Closures
- Distance Learning for ELLs: Privacy Considerations
- COVID-19 School Closures: Supporting English Learners During the COVID-19 Pandemic (American Federation of Teachers)