Eduvos Literature lecturer and PhD candidate, Derosha Moodley shares her experience of International SEL Day on 10 March.
Friday, 10th of March 2023 was a day of celebration for all those involved in social and emotional learning within educational organisations globally - including Eduvos at our Durban Campus.
SEL stands for Social and Emotional Learning, an educational methodology designed to build emotional management abilities that help one cope with the struggles and stresses of daily life.
SEL education has many different competency development routes, we have chosen to follow CASEL's (Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning) five competencies by cultivating: Self Awareness, Social Awareness, Self-Management, Responsible Decision-Making and Relationship Building traits in our daily lives.
SEL literature states that adults with strong social and emotional skills have personal, professional and socially healthier lives and we want our Vossies to be consciously aware of their emotional and social management from the day of enrolment to the day of graduation.
How did we celebrate?
With the launch of the Vossie SEL 'take what you need' board and two student presentations.
Arno Meyer, Durban Campus General Manager worked hard to hammer, nail and glue a very special board that will serve anybody coming to campus with a heavy heart. The board comprises eight little gift bags stuck onto the frame and each gift bag holds a quote that will give the person taking out the quote an opportunity to introspect on that competency that they need to build during that moment of difficulty. The quotes were written by the students and staff during the launch event and will serve both students and staff every day from this day going forward.
First-year students Luthando Nyandeni and Mthunzi Magwaza riveted the audience with a role-play on emotional management by presenting both destructive and constructive coping mechanisms for dealing with anger.
First-year student Keholin Naidoo, student wellness ambassador Wandi Mhlongo and SRC President Nkosenhle Zikalala enlightened attendees with a reminder on mental health awareness. The three speakers shared shocking insight on the decline of male mental health, shared peer-to-peer coping mechanisms and the details of our campus regional counselling services offered to students.
Adults with strong social and emotional skills have personal, professional and socially healthier lives.
Now more than ever South Africans need emotional tools to help cope with the very many anxieties of day-to-day life. Eduvos students have been exposed to a learning methodology that they can use for both personal and professional reasons. Our Vossies will be ready for the real world thanks to the wonderful work of our General Manager Arno Meyer and our Academic Student Experience Manager, Olika Saikoolal who brought International SEL Day to Eduvos Durban Campus.
